Buckingham Palace has announced the plans for the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on Friday (April 9) at the age of 99.
According to the Associated Press, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is set to return to the UK to attend the funeral, which will be held on April 17 at Windsor Castle. However, Meghan Markle, who is pregnant with their second child, has been advised by her doctors not to travel for the service.
The funeral will be a family service that is closed to the public. According to the palace, Prince Philip took part in planning the funeral and asked for a private ceremony. The palace also maintained that the service will be in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines.
“While there is sadness that the public will not be able to physically be part of events to commemorate the life of the duke, the royal family asks that anyone wishing to express their condolences do so in the safest way possible and not by visiting Windsor or any other royal palaces to pay their respects,” a palace spokesperson told the AP.
“The family’s wish is very much that people continue to follow the guidelines to keep themselves and others safe.”
Prince Harry and Markle stepped away from their royal duties in March 2020 and now live in California. On March 7, the couple granted an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey, in which they detailed their reasoning for leaving. This will mark the first time Prince Harry has returned to the UK in over a year.
Following Prince Philip’s death, Prince Harry and Markle paid tribute to him on their Archewell Foundation website: “In loving memory of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh… Thank you for your service… you will be greatly missed.” – Reuters