When Queen Elizabeth II announced on Friday that her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died at the age of 99, the question on many people's minds soon turned to whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would return to attend the funeral.
Well, we got our answer on Saturday. While Prince Harry will attend his grandfather's funeral, Meghan will not. Deadline's Bruce Haring reported on the news with a statement from a royal spokesperson:
“The Duke of Sussex is planning to attend. The Duchess of Sussex has been advised by her physician not to travel. So the duke will be attending,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesperson at a Saturday briefing. The funeral will be held April 17 amid limited attendance because of pandemic protocols.
Haring offered that it "will slightly ease the anticipated tensions in Harry’s first visit home since the notorious interview with Oprah Winfrey."
Speculation about Harry and Meghan has abounded since Friday's announcement, which the Daily Mail has covered extensively. As the Daily Mail reported, Nigel Farage discussed the situation on Friday during a Fox Business appearance, during which he sharply criticized the timing of the Oprah Winfrey interview:
Shortly after the announcement of Philip's death, Mr Farage made an appearance on Fox News in which he paid tribute.
When asked for his thoughts on Harry and Meghan however, he did not hold back, launching an attack on their decision to air their interview with Oprah Winfrey.
He claimed that the couple’s decision to go ahead with the broadcast while Prince Philip was in hospital will see their standing with people drop 'very, very fast'.
Mr Farage claimed that it was known that Philip 'only had a few weeks to live' following his hospital stay, 'and yet despite that, despite the fact the Queen must have been in a state of deep distress, they proceeded to do an interview at which they attacked, effectively, the older members of the royal family,' he added.
'Given that today is the day that Philip has died, I won’t use the words about Meghan and Harry that I would like to, but I think it was deeply disrespectful.'
The Daily Mail also reported that "mourners had a mixed reaction over Meghan's absence. The piece additionally read that:For a couple that do public emotion as a career, this third person and one sentence statement shows their contempt for this great man and the monarchy.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) April 9, 2021
The British public will not welcome Harry and Meghan back, even for the funeral. https://t.co/nJ3uimRyW0
A number of mourners gathered outside Windsor Castle gave their opinions on the Duke of Sussex returning from the US for the solemn occasion, and were positive for the most part.
However, the consensus wasn't quite as unanimous when it came to his pregnant wife Meghan, who is due to give birth to a baby girl early this summer and won't be accompanying Prince Harry to the UK on doctor's orders.
The funeral will be April 17.
