Prince Philip reportedly felt "internally very upset" when Prince Harry announced he's stepping back from his royal roles with Meghan Markle. But the Duke of Edinburgh didn't bother to confront his grandson, despite his feelings, because he apparently no longer has the same energy to "interfere" at 99 years old.
According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, if Prince Philip was a lot younger, Harry might have been told off by his grandfather. The Duke of Edinburgh could have influenced the Duke of Sussex and let him understand what he's really giving up when he announced that he and his wife are stepping back from their royal roles.
Seward is also the author of the recently-released biography Prince Philip Revealed. She wrote that the Queen's husband could have given valuable advice to Harry and Meghan because he also gave up a lot from his own career to support the Crown and Her Majesty.
Like Meghan, Prince Philip was an outsider in the British royal family. He understood the Duchess of Sussex's struggles as someone who is trying to fit into this institution.
The royal author said that Prince Philip could have also warned Harry about losing his military titles, which had been the biggest blow for the Duke of Sussex. His grandfather could also make it clear to him that he cannot have "one foot in the palace and the other foot out" because that was what Prince Harry and Meghan wanted at the beginning of their plan to step back.
But Seward said the Queen's husband has put a limit on his involvement with The Firm's issues because of his age. He was apparently also not going to let Harry see his disappointment though he felt strongly about the damage the Sussex's departure will cause the family.
The biographer said that Prince Philip felt Harry and Meghan pursued their own agenda, while he's solely about duty to the Crown first. But the Duke of Edinburgh felt the Sussexes should be allowed to do what they want and let them face the consequences as well.
Since leaving the royal fold, Harry and Meghan have been active in their advocacies in the United States, for which they have been criticized. After seemingly making political comments just before the U.S. elections, Buckingham Palace released a statement to clarify that Prince Harry is no longer a working member of the royal family and his comments are his personal beliefs.
