One major piece of news has been confirmed about Prince Philip’s service: his grandson, Prince Harry, will not be in attendance (per the Daily Mail). This also means that Meghan Markle and the couple’s two young children, Archie and Lilibet, will not be attending.
It’s actually not clear if Harry and his family will ever return to the United Kingdom, as the former royal has stated through his lawyer that he is reluctant to do so until he can be guaranteed he and his family will receive the proper protection. The couple issued an official statement about the matter, noting that though Harry is no longer a senior member of the royal family, he and his wife and children still receive constant threats against their safety. As they put it (via Town & Country Magazine), “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.”
Sources close to Buckingham Palace have indicated the news is particularly upsetting to the Queen, who has yet to meet her namesake Lilibet. Princess Diana’s former chef Darren McGrady told the Daily Mail, “The Queen will be devastated, and Princess Diana would, too, if she were here.”