Prince Harry to attend Prince Philip’s funeral while Meghan Markle was advised not to travel

The Duke of Sussex will travel from California to Windsor for the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, as reported by Harper’s Bazaar. Prince Harry will be “following Covid-19 protocols for travel”, said insiders.

Prince Philip’s funeral will be held on Saturday, April 17, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Meghan Markle, who is currently carrying the couple’s second child, a daughter, will not be accompanying her husband.

An insider close to the couple told Harper’s Bazaar, “The duchess has made every effort to travel alongside the duke, but unfortunately, she did not receive medical clearance from her physician.”

The funeral will begin at 3 pm local time (10 pm Singapore time) and coincide with a national minute of silence. Complying with the British government’s pandemic guidelines, 30 people will be attending the funeral. The people who will be attending include family members, children, grandchildren, and long-serving staff members such as the late prince’s faithful valet, page and private secretary.

The late prince’s coffin will remain in the Queen’s private chapel at Windsor Castle the whole week before being moved to a modified Land Rover that the Duke had helped design. During the funeral, family members including Prince Harry will follow the coffin to St George’s Chapel for a military-influenced royal ceremonial service.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said that a number of arrangements have been modified due to Covid-19 restrictions and requested members of the public not to gather at royal residences. “People turning up at Windsor Castle on Saturday will not be able to see anything,” said the spokesman.

The Sussexes paid tribute to the late Prince Philip on the day of his death, April 9, with a message on the website of their charitable foundation Archewell. “Thank you for your service,” the touching note read. “You will be missed.”

Prince Harry has often talked about his close relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh. Speaking with James Corden recently, he shared that he regularly had Zoom calls with his grandparents.

“They’ve seen Archie running around,” he said. “My grandfather, instead of, like, pressing ‘leave meeting’, he just goes doof,” Harry laughed, mimicking someone slamming down the lid of a laptop. “I’m like, OK, bye!”

This upcoming trip will be Prince Harry’s first time in the UK since stepping down from royal duties in March 2020. It will also be the first time he meets his family members including his father and brother since he and his wife sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an explosive primetime interview./TISG