How Did The Royal Family Really Feel About Meghan Not Attending Prince Philip's Funeral?

Prince Philip died on April 9, and his funeral was held at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle on April 17. Prince Harry flew to London to attend the services, but his wife, Meghan Markle, stayed behind. At the time, People magazine reported that Meghan wasn't cleared by her physician to travel as she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. "The Duke of Sussex is planning to attend. The Duchess of Sussex has been advised by her physician not to travel. So the duke will be attending," a palace spokesperson explained. 

According to The Sun, Harry arrived in London on April 11, and quarantined at Frogmore Cottage for several days ahead of the funeral. This marked the first time that Harry had been back to the UK — and seen his family — since he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family and moved to the United States. A month prior, he and Meghan sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey which caused some tension between Harry and his family. For that reason, all eyes were on the Duke of Sussex at the funeral, many wondering if said tension would be visible — but he ended up having what appeared to be a friendly chat with his older brother, Prince William, after the service ended, according to BBC News.

Although Philip's funeral was four months ago, new information about how the royal family really felt about Meghan's absence has surfaced. Read on for more.

Although Meghan Markle didn't attend Prince Philip's funeral, she sent along a handwritten note and had a wreath made in his honor, according to People magazine. The wreath was extremely thoughtful, and included several different elements that represented different parts of Philip's life. For example, it included "Acanthus mollis, the national flower of Greece, to represent...Philip's heritage, and eryngium, to represent the Royal Marines," the outlet reported. 

People also confirmed that Meghan was "hopeful to be able to attend" the services, but, instead, watched from her home in Montecito, California. It has since been revealed that the royal family wasn't exactly disappointed that Meghan couldn't attend. In an updated version of "Finding Freedom," authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie wrote that the royal family was "understood to have been quietly pleased" that Meghan was unable to be at the funeral, according to the Daily Mail. 

Meghan has not been back to the UK since moving out in 2020. It's unclear when she will make a trip across the pond.