Real reason Meghan won’t attend Prince Philip’s funeral as Harry reunites with royal family
Meghan Markle won’t be at Prince Philip’s funeral but it’s not for the reason the palace initially reported.
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Meghan Markle won’t attend Prince Philip’s funeral but it’s not for the reason the palace publicly stated.
Friends of the Duchess of Sussex have claimed that she has remained in California while Harry is in London because she “doesn’t want to be the centre of attention”.
“Meghan said her main concern right now is supporting Harry. She said she left it up to him as to whether or not she would attend the funeral,” a source – described as having close ties to the former Suits actor – told the Daily Mail.
“Meghan said it’s during these times when family should come together, put their differences aside and unite as one.
“She said this is what Prince Philip would want and that she’s willing to forgive and move forward.”
This differs from Buckingham Palace’s official statement about Meghan’s absence.
A spokesman for the royal family had said Meghan – who is six months pregnant with her second child – would not be attending the funeral because she “has been advised by her physician not to travel”.
A friend of the Duchess claimed Meghan’s pregnancy was a factor in her not attending the funeral, with her mother Doria “adamant” she not travel.
HARRY’S ROYAL REUNION
Prince Harry has reunited with his cousin Princess Eugenie after returning to London for Prince Philip’s funeral.
Eugenie, 31, was the first member of the British royal family to see Harry, 36, in more than a year since he, his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie, left the royal family and moved to California, Page Six reports.
Eugenie is living at Frogmore Cottage, which is Harry and Meghan’s UK home, with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and their newborn son, August.
It’s the first time that Harry will have met his first cousin’s son, who was born in February.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex offered Frogmore Cottage, which lies in the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II’s Windsor estate, when Eugenie and Brooksbank, 31, found out they were expecting.
At the time, a source told the New York Post: “It’s fully equipped for a new family and new baby. It’s still Meghan and Harry’s UK residence, they’ll still stay there when they go back, but they’re delighted to be able to open up their home to Princess Eugenie and Jack as they start their own family”.
Harry and Markle renovated Frogmore for around $US3 million ($A3.93 million) in taxpayer funds, though they announced plans to reimburse Britain for the cost.
The couple lived in the cottage for less than six months before moving to Canada and then Montecito, California.
Harry flew into London’s Heathrow Airport on Sunday and is currently quarantining at Frogmore in accordance with England’s COVID-19 rules ahead of Philip’s funeral on Saturday.
Given Meghan’s absence, all eyes at the funeral will be on Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, who will be seen in public together for the first time since March last year.
Their very public reunion follows Harry and Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in February, in which Meghan claimed that William’s wife, Kate Middleton, had made her cry before her wedding.
The couple also made serious allegations of racism within the royal family, and Harry said he believed that his father, Prince Charles, and William were “trapped” in their royal roles.
– With the New York Post.
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