Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, did not get the chance to see his newest great-grandchildren, who were born when he was receiving treatments at the hospital.
According to sources, the pandemic lockdowns and safety restrictions were partly why Prince Philip never got to meet August Philip and Lucas Philip, the babies of his grandchildren, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall.
Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew, gave birth to August Philip a week before Philip had to be hospitalized in London. The baby is her first-born son with husband, Jack Brooskbank, and the queen and the duke's ninth great-grandchild.
Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne, gave birth to Lucas Philip on March 21, when the Duke of Edinburgh has been resting and recuperating back at Windsor Castle after a month at the hospital. The baby is her third with husband, Mike Tindall, and the 10th great-grandchild of the elderly royals.
At the time of the new babies' births, Queen Elizabeth and Philip released a statement saying that they are looking forward to seeing their great-grandchildren "when circumstances" allow. The royal family is still expecting a third new baby in this year with the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's child in the summer.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting a girl. They have not revealed the name they've chosen for their daughter but sources told the press they will not name her after Princess Diana as it could make the child a big target in the media. There are speculations that Harry and Markle could pick a derivative of a Philip's name since Harry was very close to his grandfather.
Meanwhile, Harry has returned to the United Kingdom two days after his grandfather's death. Prior to coming back home, after a year of living in the United States, Harry has had talks with his cousin, Eugenie, about wanting to be with his family in this time of grief.
Sources have revealed that Harry will not be able to immediately go to Windsor Castle, where Philip's body has been lying in rest and where Queen Elizabeth has been staying since March 2020. The Duke of Sussex will need to quarantine before reuniting with his family on Saturday, April 17, for the funeral.
It's also understood that Harry's first-born son, Archie Harrison, who is nearly two years old, remained in California with his mother. Sources said that Meghan made every effort to attend the funeral of Prince Philip but was told no by her doctors since her condition is delicate for travel, especially in this pandemic.
