They might have been estranged for years, but King Charles has made sure son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are at the centre of plans for his funeral.
The Sussexes will be included at the highest level, with the Duke expected to walk side by side with then-King William — with whom he is also not currently on speaking terms — at the forefront of funeral processions through the streets of central London, The Telegraph reports.
Preparations for Charles’ funeral began within days of Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8, 2022, with a meticulously detailed plan that outlines everything from how the public will be informed to his lying in state and the funeral, dubbed Operation Menai Bridge.
The plan, named after the world’s first iron suspension bridge in Wales, is expected to evolve over time after discussions between senior representatives from the royal household, the police, the military and the church.
And, Charles is reportedly adamant that Harry and Meghan take their rightful place during the days of solemn services that will follow his death. Provision has also been made for their children Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 3.
The monarch, 76, is being treated for an incurable form of cancer and Harry has previously acknowledged he doesn’t know how much longer his father has to live. Although recent reports suggest Charles is likely to die ‘with’ and not ‘of’ the condition when his time comes.
Relations between the royals have been frosty ever since Harry and Meghan left Britain to live in the US, dropping a series of bombshells via high-profile interviews and a tell-all book and a Netflix documentary and airing their complaints about their time as senior royals.
It is hoped the plans will help avoid the awkwardness of the Queen’s funeral where Harry and Meghan were said to have felt further ostracised.
There were differing versions of exactly when Harry learned of his grandmother’s death and a frustrating lack of communication between Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes office was blamed for other dramas that included a mistaken invitation to a state reception and confusion over military uniforms.
Prince Harry has recently extended an olive branch to his UK-based family, inviting Charles, and William to the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027, with insiders suggesting he regrets his role in the deepening royal rift.
