The year 2021 was tumultuous for many reasons, including the ongoing global distress caused by the Covid pandemic.
Adding to the challenges, the Royal Family faced mounting pressures due to the Duke of Edinburgh’s declining health and the imminent broadcast of Prince Harry and Meghan’s explosive Oprah interview.
Prince Philip was initially admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone as a precautionary measure, following his doctor’s advice. Buckingham Palace issued a statement explaining that he would remain under observation for a few days.
However, just two weeks later, he was transferred to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield for a heart procedure.
Making matters more difficult, Harry and Meghan’s much-anticipated Oprah interview was set to air in just a few days.
Calls from commentators to delay the ill-timed broadcast on CBS and ITV were ignored, and the interview went ahead as planned.
It resulted in significant fallout, with serious allegations of racism and bullying within the Firm and its inner circle.
In his book Battle of Brothers, royal historian Robert Lacey suggests that while Philip wasn’t particularly troubled by the interview itself, he was concerned about the way Harry and Meghan handled the situation.
Prince Philip was in hospital following a heart procedure when Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview aired in March 2021
He writes: ‘Philip was unconcerned, according to his friend and biographer Gyles Brandreth. What did worry him, said Brandreth, was ‘the couple’s preoccupation with their own problems’.
‘I know from someone closer to him, revealed the bestselling author and broadcaster, that he thought Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was ‘madness’ and ‘no good would come of it’.’
Although Philip encouraged members of the Royal Family to give interviews, he emphasised the importance of modesty and discretion, cautioning against discussing private matters publicly.
Mr Lacey explains: ”Give TV interviews by all means’ was the rule that the duke shared with all his children – it was part of the royal job in the modern world. But they should never forget that discretion and modesty were integral to being a member of the British Royal Family – ‘Don’t talk about yourself’.’
Three weeks and three days after being discharged from the hospital, Philip passed away peacefully in his sleep at Windsor Castle.
He was ‘unable to play any part’ in the family’s response to Harry and Meghan’s damaging accusations.
Queen Elizabeth released a heartfelt statement, which read: ‘The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
‘The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.’
Harry, who attended Philip’s funeral alone as his wife was heavily pregnant, walked in line beside Princess Anne’s children, maintaining a noticeable distance from William
At the time, body language expert Judi James observed that the brothers ‘almost looked like strangers’
Before the fallout: Harry, Meghan, Kate and William attend the first Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018 in London
Elizabeth and Philip at Villa Guardamangia in Malta, where they lived during the early years of their marriage
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh first crossed paths when she was just eight and he was 13-years-old. Their bond blossomed into a marriage that endured for 73 years
When asked about the interview, Charles reportedly responded with a chuckle, while William, in stark contrast, firmly and perhaps angrily told reporters: ‘We are very much not a racist family.’
According to Mr Lacey, ‘it was very obvious who was going to be the family’s next Prince Philip’.
With the funeral taking place the following weekend, the Queen and William are believed to have discussed the arrangements, including how both grandsons would walk behind the coffin.
‘Elizabeth was coping with her bereavement by personally supervising every detail of her husband’s farewell – complicated as it was by the Covid requirement that there be no more than 30 mourners in the chapel,’ Mr Lacey explains.
Harry, who attended the funeral alone as his wife was heavily pregnant, walked in line beside Princess Anne’s children, keeping his distance from William.
At the time, body language expert Judi James observed that the brothers ‘almost looked like strangers’, noting their lack of acknowledgment towards one another. She added that Harry appeared ‘desperate to avoid’ his brother.
