Prince Harry Attending Prince Philip Funeral Sans Meghan Is 'Probably Wise,' Royal Commentator Says

A royal commentator has suggested that “it is probably wise” that Prince Harry will attend Prince Philip's funeral next week without wife Meghan Markle amid the alleged tension caused by their March interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke of Sussex will be flying to the U.K. for the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died Friday at age 99. Markle, who is heavily pregnant with their second child, won't be able to join him as she has been advised by her doctor not to travel.

In an interview with Sky News, royal commentator Annabelle Sanderson suggested that as this would be the first time he is returning home since stepping back as a working royal last year, Prince Harry could take this opportunity to try to mend any rifts with his family members.

"I think when you have incidents like funerals, weddings, it's the time when family come to get together and maybe heal the rift," she said. "Maybe time to look at the fact that life is finite and look at what's important."

Sanderson suggested that aside from the bombshell revelations and claims he and Markle made, the timing of the airing of their interview with Winfrey also caused tension within the Firm. The couple decided to push through with the CBS special despite Prince Philip's one-month hospitalization at the time.

The royal commentator went on to say that she hopes Prince Harry would be able to reconnect with his family.

"I think it's probably wise that Harry is coming to funeral on his own because after that interview, I think, there is a real need for some bridges to be rebuilt because a lot of people were deeply offended by not only what was said but also by the timing of the interview," Sanderson said.

As for pandemic restrictions, she noted that people who want to enter the U.K. have to take a test before the flight and undergo a 10-day quarantine. However, in funerals, "we can leave the quarantine period, so [Prince Harry] will be able to go to the service."

In March, Markle's friend, Gayle King, said that the Sussexes would have delayed their interview if Prince Philip had died before its scheduled airing.

“I think that Harry and Meghan both have been through so much for the past three years, and they really have tried to work it out privately," King said on her radio show.

Prince Philip will have a ceremonial funeral at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17 that will be entirely closed to the public, Reuters reported.

"It will be what’s known as a ceremonial royal funeral," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement. "The plans for the funeral are very much in line with the Duke of Edinburgh’s own personal wishes."