Prince Harry has secretly returned to the UK and “reunited” with his estranged brother Prince William at their uncle’s funeral.
Sources close to Prince Harry initially reported that he would miss his uncle Lord Fellowes’ funeral, citing security concerns in the UK. Nevertheless, the prince secretly flew out of Los Angeles to attend the mourning event.
The Duke of Sussex, who turns 40 next month, sat at a distance from the heir to the throne at Lord Robert Fellowes’ funeral in Norfolk.
Lord Fellowes, 82, died on July 29. He was married to Princess Diana’s older sister and served as Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary for several years. This is believed to be the first time the brothers have seen each other in public since King Charles’ coronation last May.
The meeting between the brothers came as the Prince and Princess of Wales’ plans for the end of the summer ahead of William’s return to duty on September 5 became known.
The couple shared on social media that they were “looking forward” to the Paralympic Games. They said on X:
“Looking forward to another few weeks of incredible sport! Wishing the very best of luck to our @ParalympicsGB athletes and all those competing at #Paris2024.”
Harry is concerned about security issues
Earlier, the media reported that the Duke of Sussex did not come to the UK for his uncle’s funeral due to security concerns. The Executive Committee for the Protection of Members of the Royal Family stopped working with him after he left royal duties and moved to California in 2020. Although he lost his High Court case in February, he was allowed to appeal in June.
Harry has said he no longer believes it is safe to bring his family to the UK because of threats of possible attacks. He has been told that limited security can only be provided if British authorities are notified more than 28 days before travelling.
Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to the US and gave up their royal duties, the brothers have had little contact. The disagreement worsened after the release of Harry’s memoir, Spare, in January 2023.
The Duke last visited the UK in May to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, which he organised for wounded soldiers. Earlier in February, he returned to the country to visit his father, King Charles III, following news of his battle with cancer. The younger brother also reached out to Prince William after his wife Kate Middleton was diagnosed with cancer.
