Prince Philip funeral: Meghan Markle sent hand-written note, customized wreath for duke with Harry
While Meghan Markle could not fly to the United Kingdom to attend Prince Philip's funeral due to her pregnancy she was sure to send a personalized note and a wreath of flowers. Her husband, Prince Harry, did attend the funeral and also took part in the prestigious procession that saw the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin being transferred from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel for the funeral ceremony.
Meghan is pregnant with the couple's second child and was not cleared by her doctor for travel overseas at this stage in her pregnancy. It was reported that she did make "private arrangements" to watch the funeral from their current home in California, where they moved last year after quitting the monarchy.
RELATED ARTICLES
Meghan's handwritten note
According to ABC News, Meghan sent a handwritten note and a wreath to be laid for the Duke of Edinburgh with Harry as he flew to his birthplace. The content of the note was not revealed, although it is widely known that Meghan is skilled in calligraphy.
The wreath was handmade by Willow Crossley, a floral designer who also designed floral arrangements for Harry and Meghan's wedding and the christening of their son, Archie. The wreath of flowers was specially designed to represent Prince Philip's Greek heritage, his service to the Royal Marines and June, the month of his birth at the request of Harry and Meghan. This included Acanthus mollis (Bear's breeches), the national flower of Greece, and eryngium (sea holly), to represent the Royal Marines. It also features campanula for gratitude and everlasting love, rosemary to signify remembrance, lavender for devotion, and roses in honor of June being Philip's birth month.
'It’ll be a sad day' for Meghan, says royal expert
Philip's funeral is taking place in the same chapel where Harry and Meghan wed nearly three years ago. During her time in the royal family, Meghan grew especially close to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, according to ABC News royal contributor Omid Scobie.
"We know that she’s supporting Harry in this very difficult week for him, but she’ll also be sad because this is also the loss of a family member for her," said Scobie. "She grew very close to the queen and Prince Philip over the recent years. It was probably her strongest relationship within the family and those relations then get smaller this week. It’ll be a sad day for her."
