Queen funeral: What’s next for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Royal watchers have weighed in on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future and how the Queen’s death will affect their upcoming projects.

They had thought their visit to the UK was going to be a flying one, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ended up staying for just over two weeks, for the saddest of reasons.

Now, after 10 days of mourning and a long and emotional funeral for the record-breaking monarch and Harry’s beloved Granny, the exhausted pair are expected to head home.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex had flown into the UK at the start of September, for what was planned to be a short tour, but the Queen’s death on September 8 changed all that.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex view floral tributes left at Windsor Castle on September 10, as crowds have gathered and left tributes at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle two days before. Picture: Getty Images

The Sussexes with Prince and Princess of Wales look at floral tributes to the Queen left outside Windsor Castle. Picture: Getty Images

Both Harry and Meghan were noticeably emotional throughout the funeral proceedings on Monday.

Harry looked to be fighting back tears as he joined the processions behind the coffin, into Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, then afterwards towards Hyde Park and finally, into St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Members of the Royal Family follow the Queen’s coffin into Westminster Abbey. Picture: Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her funeral. Picture: AFP

The last time Harry had been in St George’s Chapel in public with his family, had been for the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021, then, accompanying the black-clad Queen as she mourned the loss of her husband of 73 years.

But with the funeral over, what’s next for the pair?

With the Queen’s funeral over, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to return to California. Picture: Getty Images

Royal watchers predict Harry and Meghan will not hang around, but travel back to California as soon as possible, where their commitments, which they had put on hold during the mourning period, await along with their family.

It was not clear whether Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, had flown over to join their mourning parents, who are fiercely private about their family life, whether they remained in Montecito with their nanny and grandma Doria.

Meghan had paused her podcast, Archetypes, stating on the homepage, “New episodes of Archetypes will be paused during the official mourning period for Her Majesty The Queen.”

Royal watchers predict the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with return to their commitments, such as the Invictus Games. Picture: Getty Images.

She also cancelled an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, which had been slated for September 20. The pair also had to cancel a planned visit to the UN in New York.

As the mourning period ends and their website returns to normal, so will their lives – and that of their hitherto estranged family.

For a moment, at least, bonds were mended, the Queen’s death proving the one thing bigger than any disputes; the brothers brought together again in grief, to mourn in private and in public.

Prince William and Prince Harry somewhat reunited as they mourned their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Getty Images

The Princess and Prince of Wales with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside Windsor Castle. Picture: AFP

The question is, royal watchers say, whether the Queen’s death will affect the Sussex’s upcoming projects, including Harry’s memoir, scheduled for later in the year, Meghan’s podcast episodes, their Netflix documentary and future interviews.

As the Queen’s coffin was lowered out of view, we watched Harry and Meghan driven away, up the hill to Windsor Castle – and a future which will inevitably unfold.

Originally published as Queen funeral: What’s next for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle