Royals Relieved Meghan Markle Unable To Attend Prince Philip's Funeral — It's A 'Blessing,' Says Source
Prince Harry has officially landed back in the U.K. for the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip; however, his pregnant wife, Meghan Markle, has been advised not to fly and will not be attending — and a source told The Royal Observer that her absence seems to be for the better.
“This isn’t about Meghan or Harry, which is why pregnant Meghan not being able to attend is a blessing," the insider shared. "Although, it should be noted that she did manage to fly to New York when she was seven months pregnant with Archie and attend her star-studded baby shower.”
Regardless, “This isn’t the right time for them all to get together and discuss Meghan and Harry’s feelings,” the insider explained.
Despite some major royal family drama following Meghan and Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey last month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are doing their best to put their feelings aside in the wake of the Duke of Edinburgh's death. According to The Royal Observer, the couple personally reached out to Queen Elizabeth II after learning of his passing.
“Meghan and Harry were told about his grandfather’s passing by his father, Prince Charles, before the news was made public. The first thing they did was call the Queen and check in on her,” a source exclusively told The Royal Observer. “Meghan just picked up the phone and called. It might not have been the right thing to do, and it may not follow protocol, but she didn’t care. When another human being is hurting, you reach out to them.”
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This is not the first time Meghan has gotten on the phone to speak with the Queen directly. In the couple's interview with Oprah, detailing Meghan and Harry’s life outside of the palace, the former actress told the TV titan, "This morning, I woke up earlier than H and saw a note from someone on our team in the U.K. saying that the Duke of Edinburgh had gone to the hospital, but I just picked up the phone and I called the Queen just to check in."
When asked if it was proper protocol to directly speak with the Queen, Meghan explained, "That's what we do." She continued, "Being able to default to not having to every moment go, 'Is that appropriate?'"
As OK! previously reported, Harry recently paid tribute to his grandfather three days after the 99-year-old passed away on Friday, April 9.
On Monday, April 12, Harry praised the Duke of Edinburgh, sharing that he was a "man of service, honour and great humour." His statement added, "He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm — and also because you never knew what he might say next.”
