Prince Philip death: Harry is really upset and guilty he could not say goodbye to grandad in person, says source
Prince Harry is reported to be "really upset" that he could not say goodbye to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. According to a source close to Harry, he feels guilty. The Duke of Edinburgh and longtime consort of the Queen died on Friday, April 9, at the age of 99.
Because of coronavirus travel restrictions, Harry and Meghan have not been able to return to the UK since their move to the US last year. After Philip’s death, a source said: "Harry feels guilty for not being there to say goodbye to Prince Philip in person. The Queen wants Harry to be there. Harry is hopeful that he’ll be able to return home to honor his grandfather, who he had a close bond with."
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While Harry will most probably attend Prince Philip's funeral, Meghan will not. Meghan, who is pregnant with a baby girl, will remain in the US on doctor's advice. A source said that Meghan made “every effort” to travel but didn’t receive medical clearance from her physician. The funeral service for Philip will be held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17.
After Philip’s death, the Sussex royals released a statement on their Archewell foundation website. The short message said: “In loving memory of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021. Thank you for all your service...you will be greatly missed."
As per royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, Prince Philip felt that Prince Harry and Meghan’s controversial tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey was “madness”. Someone close to Philip told the biographer that “he thought Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey was 'madness' and 'no good would come of it'.” The biographer added that he was not surprised “because that is exactly how he described to me the earlier personal TV interviews given by Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, back in the 1990s.”
The fact that the Meghan and Harry interview was aired while Philip was hospitalized did not trouble him, the biographer said. What worried him, Brandreth said, was the couple's “preoccupation with their own problems and their willingness to talk about them in public.” He quoted Philip as having said: “Give TV interviews, by all means. but don't talk about yourself.” As per him, this was one of Philip’s rules.
Harry “risks permanent royal divorce” if he returns home unapologetic, royal expert and Renowned biographer Tom Bower said. He added that Harry may never heal the rift with other royal family members if he is unapologetic at Prince Philip's funeral.
Bower said, "Now, Harry faces a moment of reckoning. The negotiations for his return to Britain for the funeral are certain to be fraught. The tension will not be helped by the small number of mourners allowed at the funeral — just 30 because of Covid restrictions. Much will depend on whether Charles and William are willing to seek reconciliation.”