London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2026

Queen 'understands' why pregnant Meghan can't come to Prince Philip's funeral

Queen 'understands' why pregnant Meghan can't come to Prince Philip's funeral

The Queen ‘understands’ why pregnant Meghan Markle can’t travel to the UK to attend Prince Philip’s funeral, a source has said.

The Duchess of Sussex is said to have been in touch with Her Majesty to pass on her condolences after being advised not to travel by her doctor.

Prince Harry has already flown home and is believed to be isolating at Frogmore Cottage, the couple’s former home in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

A California source told PEOPLE it was ‘always a given’ the duke would return to England following his grandfather’s passing.

They said both Harry and Meghan ‘were in contact with the Queen’, adding: ‘Meghan expressed condolences. The Queen understands why she can’t travel at the moment.’

Harry’s return to the UK comes after a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he and Meghan accused an unidentified member of the Royal Family of ‘raising concerns’ about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be when he’s born.

Oprah later clarified these comments did not come from Prince Philip or the Queen.

The duchess also accused ‘the firm’ of refusing to help when she told them she was having suicidal thoughts.

Buckingham Palace said the whole family was ‘saddened’ by the ‘serious allegations’ which will ‘be addressed by the family privately’ – although added that ‘recollections may vary’.

Another source recently claimed Meghan ‘didn’t want to be the centre of attention’ at the funeral amid the family drama.

Meghan Markle’s doctor has advised her not to travel, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Saturday


Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, joined by her mother Doria Ragland, show their new son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle


They told MailOnline: ‘Meghan said her main concern right now is supporting Harry. She said she left it up to him as to whether or not she would attend the funeral.

‘Meghan said it’s during these times when family should come together, put their differences aside and unite as one. She said this is what Prince Philip would want and that she’s willing to forgive and move forward.’

Tributes have flooded in for the Duke of Edinburgh since he died ‘peacefully’ at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.

The Duke of Cambridge has described him as an ‘extraordinary man part of an extraordinary generation’.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry said he was a man of service and honour – as well as a ‘legend of banter’.

The Queen carried out her first official in-person royal duty after the death of her husband yesterday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
×