Prince Harry shared a special bond with his grandfather, Prince Philip, despite his rift with the royal family and though they had less communication in the last year, Philip was still very fond of his grandson.
Sources told Us Weekly that Philip and Harry always had a close relationship. The Duke of Sussex, however, felt guilty that he wasn't present and in person to say goodbye to his grandfather, who died peacefully at home in Windsor Castle on April 9.
Prince Harry had been living in California since March 2020, as he told the queen he and his wife, Meghan Markle, want to step back as working royals and pursue a different path. While there were reports that Philip thought this was a mistake, sources now say that the Duke of Edinburgh's treatment towards Harry remained the same.
The Duke of Sussex himself said in an interview with James Corden that he frequently speaks with his grandfather and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, via Zoom calls. Harry even shared that Philip's way of ending Zoom calls was to simply close the laptop and leave the room.
Meanwhile, reports stated that Harry wanted to wear his military uniform to the funeral of his grandfather. He once served with the British Army for a decade and held honorary military titles during his time as a working royal.
In his tribute to his Philip, Harry also referred to a military motto, denoting their very special relationship. The Duke of Edinburgh served the Royal Navy during his early years and fought in World War II.
But since Harry quit his royal roles in March 2020, he could no longer wear such regalia since he is not a working royal or actively in service. To fix this issue, Queen Elizabeth decided that none of the royal family members will be wearing military uniforms to pay their last respects to their patriarch. Instead, everyone will be in mourning clothes and those who had military service could pin their medals on their coat or daydress.
Following the funeral, Page Six reported that Harry will immediately return to the United States and be with his wife, Meghan Markle, who is set to give birth in June. It's unclear if the Duke of Sussex will have to observe a two-week quarantine upon his return home to the U.S.
Sources said that Prince Harry will not have enough time to sit down with his family and fix their rift. Since he came back to London, he has not yet seen his relatives in person since he has to quarantine at Frogmore Cottage.
