ROYALSPrince Harry Is Unlikely To Attend Prince Philip's Memorial Service: It Will 'Undermine His Position That It's Too Much Of A Threat' As Security Appeal Case Begins, Source Claims
It sounds like Prince Harry will not be returning to the U.K. for sometime.
As reported by OK!, the Duke of Sussex recently filed an appeal after the British government rejected his bid to pay for police security while visiting his homeland.
According to Sky News, the first hearing for the case began on Friday, February 18. Harry was not present, but his legal representative argued he wants to return home to see friends and family, as well as to support British charities. A representative for the British Home Office said his offer to privately fund security was "irrelevant" regardless of his safety concerns.
A verdict has not yet been reached.
While talking to Express, an insider speculated the 37-year-old will miss his grandfather Prince Philip's memorial service next month. "They don't think it's likely he'll come back because it would undermine his position that it's too much of a threat," the source explained.
The outlet noted Harry's absence could fuel existing family tensions after Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, aired their grievances with royal life in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey last year. At the time, the power couple claimed the Suits alum was not given help when she was struggling with suicidal thoughts. A member of the royal family also allegedly had "concerns" about their son Archie's skin color before he was born.
According to the publication, a Thanksgiving Service is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, at Westminster Abbey to honor the late Duke of Edinburgh. Philip passed away in April 2021 at the age of 99.
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Harry returned to the U.K. to attend the funeral and again in July to unveil a statue of his mother, Princess Diana, with Prince William. The funeral marked the first time Harry came face-to-face with his family after the interview aired.
Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They have since relocated to Montecito, Calif.
An OK! insider claimed that while William understands why Harry is adamant about keeping his family safe, he is not impressed with how his younger brother is handling the issue "because of the stress it's putting on The Queen and the monarchy."
Harry and Meghan have received "well-documented Neo-Nazi and extremist threats" in recent years, according to a statement released last month. A representative explained that while the royal couple pays for their own protection in the U.S., they "cannot replicate the necessary protection needed whilst in the U.K."
According to the statement, Harry would like his children, Archie and Lilbet, to "know his home country," but he refuses to put them at risk. Harry and Meghan welcomed their daughter in June 2021, but they have yet to introduce her to the royals in person.
