Prince Harry reportedly booked a one-way ticket when he returned to the U.K. in April to attend Prince Philip’s funeral, royal biographers claimed.
An excerpt from Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s updated edition of Finding Freedom, published in People Magazine, reveals that Harry bought a one-way ticket to the U.K. to attend Philip’s burial, according to the Daily Mail.
Harry bought a one-way ticket to this grandfather’s burial because he was unsure how long he might have to stay in the U.K. for peace talks with members of the Royal Family.
“There was a feeling that this trip might also present an opportunity to come together and talk without the filter of staff as go-betweens,” Scobie and Durand wrote in their book scheduled to hit the shelves on August 31.
Harry returned to the U.K. for Prince Philip’s burial in April
Prince Harry returned to the U.K. for Prince Philip’s burial on Sunday, April 11. It was his first visit to the U.K. since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, left the country with their son, Archie, in March 2020.
They left the U.K. after announcing they were stepping down from their positions as senior working members of the Royal Family in January 2020.
The Sussexes eventually moved to their new home in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California after a brief stay in Vancouver Island, Canada.
Meghan and Harry’s decision to leave the U.K., dubbed Megxit by the British tabloid media, sparked tensions between them and senior members of the Royal Family.
Harry was ‘shocked’ by the ‘cold reception’ he received at Philip’s funeral
Harry was reportedly “shocked” by the “cold reception” he received from members of the Royal Family when he returned to the U.K. to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s burial.
Media reports claimed at the time that some Royals shunned Harry. Prince William reportedly requested not to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Harry at the funeral procession. He asked for their cousin, Peter Philip, to stand between.
Sources also claimed that Princess Anne and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, shunned Harry during Prince Philip’s funeral held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Royal watchers claimed at the time that Harry may have been so shocked by the frosty reception that he was reconsidering his scheduled visit to the U.K. in the summer for the unveiling of a statue in honor of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Royal expert Russell Myers claimed Harry could use the birth of his daughter Lilibet as an excuse to stay away from the statue unveiling ceremony.
But despite the speculation, Harry did eventually return to the U.K to attend the statue unveiling ceremony that took place at the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace.
Harry ‘couldn’t wait’ to return to California after cold reception at Philip’s burial
A source reportedly revealed that following the frosty reception from members of the Royal Family at Prince Philip’s funeral, Harry couldn’t wait to return home to his pregnant wife and infant son.
The Duke of Sussex arrived in the U.K. to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s burial on Sunday, April 11, one week ahead of the funeral on Saturday, April 17.
He returned home to his family in the U.S. on April 20, three days after Philip’s burial. Harry was reportedly in such haste to return home that he missed being with his grandmother, the Queen, on her 95th birth.
The Queen celebrated her 95th birthday on April 21, a day after Harry returned to California.
Megxit peace talks were put on hold after Prince Philip’s burial
Despite reports that Harry left the U.K. in a hurry after receiving a frosty reception, media sources claimed that Harry held a meeting with Prince Charles and William at Frogmore Cottage before returning to the U.S.
However, the talks ended with Megxit issues unresolved and senior Royals put further talks on hold due to concerns about alleged leaks to the media by the Sussexes.
The sources claimed that William felt “uncomfortable” about holding talks with Harry due to concerns he would leak details of their conversation to the media.