Prince Harry arrived in London on Sunday to attend Prince Philip‘s funeral that is set for later this week.
The Duke of Sussex was driven to Frogmore Cottage, where he and his wife, Meghan Markle, lived after getting married in 2018.
Before Prince Harry’s departure for London, it was confirmed that Meghan Markle would not be traveling because she is pregnant.
However, it now appears there is more to the story — the real reason Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is skipping the funeral has been revealed and even some of her backers are shocked.
A friend of Meghan Markle said that she had reportedly made every attempt to join her husband on the flight this weekend — which is the first time a member of the couple has traveled back to the UK since stepping down as senior royals last year — but was advised by her doctor not to travel due to being pregnant in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Royal editor Omid Scobie explained to Harper’s Bazaar that a close friend of the pregnant Duchess of Sussex said: “The Duchess has made every effort to travel alongside The Duke, but unfortunately, she did not receive medical clearance from her physician.”
A Palace spokesman also spoke to the media and said Prince Harry’s wife was advised by her OB-GYN not to travel.
The former actress is pregnant with the couple’s second child, a girl, and she is expected to give birth around Princess Diana‘s birthday. However, her exact due date has not been revealed to the public.
People, who are close to Markle, did not say if she has been vaccinated or not. The Duchess of Sussex received support from many royal fans who said they understand her decision to stay in California for a long list of reasons.
She is nearing 40 and recently suffered a devasting miscarriage. Additionally, health experts say that pregnant travelers risk blood clots and can face turbulences which is dangerous for the unborn child.
However, very quickly, many, who voiced support for Meghan Markle, have turned on her after one of her friends did a controversial interview with the Daily Mail and revealed the real reason why she declined to travel to the UK for the funeral — Markle “doesn’t want to be the center of attention.”
The friend went to share more details about how the decision was taken for her to remain in California: “Meghan said her main concern right now is supporting Harry. She said she left it up to him as to whether or not she would attend the funeral.”
The pal also made this revelation: “Meghan said attending or not attending Prince Philip’s funeral isn’t going to change her relationship with the Queen. She said the Queen understands her absence and would want her to stay safe and healthy for the baby. Meghan said this is the opportune time for Henry to mend his relationship with his brother and his dad. She doesn’t need to be there for that.”
Meghan Markle was called arrogant and narcissistic by critics who are baffled by her poor choice of words. And some British citizens went as far as saying she is not welcome in their country after the jaw-dropping Oprah Winfrey interview went viral.
Prince Harry is expected to remain at Frogmore Cottage for his entire quarantine period — which is ten days from arrival in the UK.
He will only have quarantined for seven days by the time of Prince Philip’s funeral, due to take place on Saturday, but one of the many exemptions in coronavirus regulations allows people to break their quarantine on “compassionate grounds,” which includes attending the funeral of a close family member, friend, or member of one’s household.
Prince Harry will be expected to have a test on the second and the eighth day of his quarantine period.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward revealed that when Prince Harry and Prince William finally reunite to mourn Prince Philip, she believes that they will behave in a dignified manner.
Seward, the author of Prince Philip Revealed, told Us Weekly: “For the period that Harry is [in England], they will very much put their differences behind them. I think that Harry will want to get back to Meghan [Markle, his wife] as soon as the funeral is over … so he won’t have a great deal of time to be in a potentially embarrassing situation with his family.”
The author added: “There’s no way his family will be anything other [than] charming to him. It’s not about Harry this day. Harry knows that it’s about his grandfather. … They’re all going to put on a very good show.”
