Meghan Markle’s tribute to Prince Philip at his funeral

A US anchor and close friend of Oprah has said William and Harry still have a “strained relationship” as Meghan’s tribute to the Duke was revealed.

A US anchor and close friend of Oprah Winfrey has said Prince William and Prince Harry still have a “strained relationship”, as Meghan Markle watched Prince Philip’s funeral from home.

CBS News anchor Gayle King told viewers of the netowrk’s live coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral: “William and Harry, there’s no secret about this, have had a strained relationship, you could say, since Harry stepped away from his royal duties.”

During her TV coverage she asked former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown about the tension between Harry and Meghan and the Firm as well as foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata.

Ms Brown told Ms King “there has been a great deal of tension between them”.

“Whether that will get resolved in this atmosphere of the funeral, I don’t know. Sometimes funerals are not particularly bonding places. There’s a great assumption that a funeral is where everybody makes up. Not necessarily,” Ms Brown added.

Mr D’Agata said he would suspect that all the family differences would be set aside at the funeral.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle. Picture: Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images

“They are joined in unity and grief, in respect for their grandfather, in their fondness for the grandfather,” he said.

“And it’s worth noting too that there’s already been some level of co-ordination.”

Omid Scobie, royal author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan, said she was “of course supporting Harry”.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Meghan and Prince Harry paid tribute to Prince Philip with a handwritten message left on a wreath yesterday.

The couple chose local flowers for their tribute, which was a way of allowing the pregnant Meghan to show her support.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, was watching the service on a live stream in California because she was too pregnant to fly.

She is expecting the couple’s second child, a daughter, within months.

Prince Harry at the service for Prince Philip in St. George’s Chapel. Picture: Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

The flowers in the wreath included Acanthus mollis (Bear’s breeches), the national flower of Greece, to represent Philip’s heritage, and Eryngium (sea holly), to represent the Royal Marines.

The wreath also featured campanula flowers for gratitude and everlasting love, rosemary to signify remembrance, lavender for devotion, and roses in honour of June being Philip’s birth month.

Wreaths from members of the Royal family during the funeral service of Britain's Prince Philip. Meghan and Harry’s is second from right. Picture: AFP

Prince Harry attended the funeral alone, sitting in the church away from his brother Prince William, with all members of the royal family forced to socially distance.

Wearing a suit and his military medals, he listened to the service with his head bowed.

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrive for the funeral service of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh inside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Picture: AFP

According to a report in People magazine, a royal source said, “it was always a given that Harry would return to England for his grandfather’s passing” and that after Prince Philip’s death both Meghan and Prince Harry “were in contact with the Queen”.

“Meghan expressed condolences. The Queen understands why she can’t travel at the moment,” the source told the outlet.

The Duke of Sussex’s return is the first time he has seen his family in more than a year and the relationship reportedly remains frosty with the Queen signing off on arrangements that Prince Harry and Prince William would be separated during the funeral procession by their cousin, Peter Phillips.

Meghan Markle has “been in contact” with the Queen. Picture: Getty Images

Markle watched the ceremony from the $20 million mansion she shares with Prince Harry and Archie in the exclusive enclave of Montecito, California.

Oprah Winfrey, who conducted the recent bombshell interview with the couple, lives nearby.

Prince Harry is not expected to linger in the UK following the ceremony to smooth over troubled waters with the 36-year-old expected to return almost immediately to the US to be with his family. The couple’s second child – a daughter — is due in early July.

Prince Harry put out a statement following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, calling the late duke “master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end”.

“He has been a rock for Her Majesty The Queen with unparalleled devotion, by her side for 73 years of marriage, and while I could go on, I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, ‘Oh do get on with it!’.”

“So, on that note, Grandpa, thank you for your service, your dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself. You will be sorely missed, but always remembered — by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts.”

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Originally published as Meghan Markle’s tribute to Prince Philip at his funeral