Royal watchers were taken by surprise when it was revealed that Prince Harry had made a brief visit to the UK to attend the funeral of his uncle, Robert Fellowes—an appearance that had largely been ruled out beforehand.
Following Robert’s passing at the end of July, it was widely believed that Harry would be unable to attend the funeral due to “security concerns,” given his ongoing legal battle with the Home Office regarding his UK security arrangements.
However, to the surprise of many—including those attending the private funeral held on 28 August in Snettisham, Norfolk—Harry did quietly attend, with only a handful of people aware of his plans.
In the first episode of the new season of A Right Royal Podcast, HELLO!’s royal editor, Emily Nash, explained to host Andrea Caamano why the father-of-two was determined to keep his trip so secret.
“It was kept so under wraps that even those close to the family were unaware, and many at the funeral were genuinely surprised to see him,” Emily shared. She went on to explain that the discretion was intended to “ensure the focus remained on the funeral itself” and that Harry’s main priority was to avoid turning the event into a spectacle. “He didn’t want to overshadow what was obviously a very sad day for his family,” Emily added.
In the same episode, Emily also addresses reports of Prince Harry potentially returning to royal duties and recaps the royal family’s activities over the summer.
