Prince Harry notified Queen Elizabeth just 15 minutes before publicly saying he would miss his grandfather’s upcoming memorial service, senior royal aides told The Sun.
Harry confirmed on Friday that he will miss memorial services on March 29 for his grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99.
The Prince, who insisted on keeping his family safe on any visit to the UK, cited security concerns as the reason they would miss the memorial.
“Duke [of Sussex] will not return to the UK at the end of March but hopes to visit his grandmother as soon as possible,” the Prince said in a statement. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children live in California.
Meghan and Harry’s second child, Lilibet, was born on June 4, 2021. The prince’s refusal to travel abroad means the 95-year-old queen now has little chance of meeting her great-granddaughter, sources told The Sun.
“He insulted the Duke of Edinburgh, but in fact he insults the queen,” Harry biographer Angela Levine said. “It’s likely he’ll use that same pretext to try and evade the Platinum Jubilee celebration.”
Prince Harry’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth II reportedly deteriorated after he and Meghan Markle split from the royal family. Photo by AP/Matt Dunham, File
Harry’s biographer Angela Levine insists that Queen Elizabeth II is mourning the death of her husband, Prince Philip.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a Christmas card with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet. Alexey Lubomirsky
Prince Harry says he hopes to see Queen Elizabeth II “as soon as possible”. STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II has held numerous virtual appointments since testing positive for COVID-19 on February 20, 2022. Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images
It is reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not want to travel abroad. Yui Mok / PA / Sipa USA
The 75th anniversary of Elizabeth’s reign will be celebrated with a four-day holiday in the UK from 2 to 5 June.
Levin said the insult is especially egregious when the Queen is still “paying” for the loss of her husband, who is almost 75 years old.