Advertisement

Prince Harry will fly to the UK for Prince Philip's funeral

Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images
Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Harry will be flying to the UK to attend Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday (17th April).

The royal is currently residing in Montecito, California, with his wife Meghan and son Archie. The Duchess of Sussex will not be accompanying Harry on his trip to the UK on medical advice, as she is currently heavily pregnant with their second child.

This will be the first time that Prince Harry has returned to the UK since stepping down as a senior royal last year and relocating to North America, where he has spent the duration of the coronavirus pandemic with his family.

During his trip to the UK, Harry will have to self-isolate for a duration of 10 days - as per government guidelines - but there is a loophole which allows those travelling from overseas to attend the funeral of a close family member, reports Sky News. Travellers are expected to self-isolate at home for the rest of the time and cannot attend any other commemorative events, such as a wake.

The royal family is also expected to stick to the current government advice of only having 30 guests present at the funeral - which will be decided by the Queen, and will likely consist of her children and grandchildren. It is customary for the Prime Minister to attend the funeral of a royal consort, but Boris Johnson has said he will decline in order to free up another spot for a family member.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

Around 800 people were originally planned to be invited to the funeral, but this has been cut dramatically given the pandemic restrictions. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Philip will be given a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a State funeral, which is typically reserved for monarchs.

Prince Philip "passed away peacefully" at Windsor Castle on Friday morning aged 99, the palace confirmed. He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history.

You Might Also Like