Harry expected to attend grandfather’s funeral despite rift

The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to England for the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, despite travel restrictions and a bitter family rift.

But it is thought unlikely that the duchess (39) who is heavily pregnant with their second child, will join him.

Prince Harry (36) was close to his grandfather but is not thought to have seen him in person since autumn 2019.

A short statement on the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation website yesterday paid tribute to the duke, saying: “You will be greatly missed.”

The last time the duke was pictured with his grandson was in May 2019, as they stood with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, smiling at newborn Archie in his mother’s arms at Windsor Castle.

While tensions between the Sussexes and the royal family are still running high following the couple’s Oprah Winfrey interview, the queen has maintained throughout that the couple remain much-loved members of her family.

Prince Harry’s attendance at the funeral will mark a pivotal moment: the first time he has been seen with his family since the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in March 2020.

One royal source told the New York Post of the funeral: “He will, of course, be there, no matter how difficult relations are between the Sussexes and the family.”

Another source was quoted as saying: “Harry will do his utmost to get back to the UK and be with his family.”

Current rules state that most people travelling to the UK must test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of their flight and then quarantine for 10 days on arrival. But there is an exemption when attending the funeral of a close family member, although it would require Prince Harry to continue to self-isolate at all other times.

Yesterday, the Sussexes’ changed the home page of their Archewell Foundation to pay tribute to the duke.

A notice said: “In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021. Thank you for your service... you will be greatly missed.”

Last January, ahead of the Sandringham Summit at which senior members of the family thrashed out the terms of the Sussexes’ departure, he was pictured being driven away from the house, suggesting he did not even see his grandson.

Prince Harry inherited the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines from his grandfather in December 2017, and it was a source of great disappointment to them both that he had to give it up.

However, Prince Harry’s last public comments about his grandfather suggested they were on good terms.

In a television interview with James Corden in February, he described how the 99-year-old conducted Zoom calls.

“We’ve Zoomed them a few times,” he said of his grandparents. “They’ve seen Archie running around.”

He laughed as he recalled how the duke slammed his laptop shut to end a call. 

In their interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Sussexes claimed that a member of the royal family had raised “concerns” about the colour of their unborn child’s skin. Ms Winfrey later stoked speculation when she revealed that Prince Harry had told her it was not the queen or the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Harry’s claim that his brother, Prince William, was “trapped” inside the monarchy was also thought to have caused offence.

Gayle King, a US network CBS anchor, later revealed that subsequent talks between Prince Harry, his brother and his father, had not been “productive”. (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]