The death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, at age 99 was already a major news event. Now Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, have entered the narrative with their travel plans for the somber occasion.
Deadline revealed that Prince Harry will fly to the United Kingdom to attend his grandfather’s funeral, the first time Harry
has returned to his homeland since he and Markle moved to California after leaving the royal family last year. According to Deadline, a royal spokesperson confirmed that Markle, the former actress, will not attend the funeral, due to her pregnancy.“The Duke of Sussex is planning to attend. The Duchess of Sussex has been advised by her physician not to travel. So the duke will be attending,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said at a Saturday briefing,
Due to COVID-19 protocols, funeral attendance on April 17 will be limited in attendance.
Buckingham Palace released a brief statement that Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort of any British monarch, died peacefully at Windsor Castle on the morning of April 9.
NBC News mentioned
that Prince Philip’s death came amidst Meghan and Harry’s departure from both the United Kingdom and their official royal duties. Adding to the trials and tribulations was last month’s controversial and captivating television special, Oprah with Meghan and Harry, which captured the attention of 11 million people.Revelations from the pair to Oprah Winfrey included Markle’s suicidal thoughts while struggling with royal life and racism. She also said that “concerns and conversations” arose in the royal family over how dark her son Archie’s skin could be. Markle did not name the family member who was tied to the allegation, although it was clarified that the family member was not Prince Philip nor Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Philip retired from his public role in 2017, 70 years after his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.