Prince Harry and Prince William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was laid to rest on Saturday (April 17). The Duke passed away on April 9, at the age of 99.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, only 30 guests were allowed to attend the funeral – all of them members of the Duke’s family, including members from his Greek and German family, and Prince Harry, who flew in from Los Angeles.
It’s been over a year since Prince Harry and his older brother, Prince William, have seen each other. Although Harry arrived in London on Sunday (April 11), he had to undergo a quarantine period – so they haven’t exactly had time to see each other before the funeral.
Although the brothers were seen walking together during the eight-minute procession from Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel, their cousin Peter Philipps walked between them, and they didn’t exactly had time to chitchat. Then, during the service, Harry sat opposite William and his wife Kate Middleton – most of the guests sat separately and those with companions only got to sit with their bubble. Even the Queen sat alone.
But, following Prince Philip interment at the Royal Vault, Harry, William and Kate were spotted walking together after the funeral. The brothers were later seen splitting off and walking together back to Windsor Castle where the guests were going for a private gathering.
This is huge – while the brothers have reportedly talked over the phone while Harry was in Cali, the last time he talked about his relationship with William, he told Oprah Winfrey that it’s currently “space.” And when they talked after the interview, according to Gayle King, the conversations were “not productive.” But here we are, the brothers finally together again. In person. Talking.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl was actually hopeful about the brothers reuniting during the funeral. “There is every hope that this will be the beginning of the thawing of the rift between William and Harry. We all know that it has not been an easy year. We know about the royal rift at the heart of the monarchy,” she said.
Harry flew home solo though – his wife, Meghan Markle, is pregnant with their second child and wasn’t given clearance by her doctors to travel.
The expecting duchess and their one-year-old son, Archie, remained in Montecito, California, where she watched the funeral from home. But she was able to pay tribute to Prince Philip from across the miles.
She and Harry sent a wreath of locally sourced blooms – and Meghan herself wrote the note by hand. The couple also put a lot of thought into the wreath, which reportedly included several meaningful flowers by the couple’s request – including acanthus mollis, the national flower of Greece to represent the Duke of Edinburgh’s heritage; eryngium to represent the Royal Marines; campanula to show gratitude and everlasting love; rosemary to signify remembrance; lavender for devotion; and, roses in honor of June, which is Prince Philip’s birth month.
