What We Know About Prince Philip's Relationship With Prince Harry
Following the death of Princess Diana, the royal family stepped in quite closely to aid in her sons' grieving process. While they had always been close to their extended family, the two brothers increasingly relied on the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, as they grew. While the grandfather and grandsons had always been close, those relations may have soured in later years.
Vanity Fair notes that the Queen obviously serves as head of the nation, but her husband works as head of the family, meaning that ups and downs all warrant a meeting with the Duke of Edinburgh. According to The Express, Prince Philip took special care of Harry following the loss of his mother and "took him under his wing." Many had called Harry the favorite. But, following Meghan Markle's introduction to the family, things began to change, as made clear by his absence from the Sandringham Summit in which the Queen, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles discussed the couple's stepping down from their royal duties.
Vanity Fair chronicles a close relationship that quickly cooled once Philip felt that Harry wasn't taking his advice. Even still, he appeared at his grandson's wedding after undergoing a hip replacement surgery shortly prior to the event. While he initially liked his new granddaughter-in-law, once the couple's actions started to affect the Queen and the monarchy, Philip likely took issue with their emigration from the U.K.
Prince Philip was especially close to Prince Harry after Diana died
Prince Philip had lost his own mother at a young age and could sympathize with his grandchildren on that fateful day in 1997. Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, dove into his response with the boys, saying that Philip "was brilliantly effective with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities like stalking and hiking to tire them out" (via Town and Country). When it came to walking behind their mother's casket, Prince Philip agreed to walk alongside his grandsons at William's request.
As for Harry, the prince's affinity for military matters connected Philip with his younger grandson, the outlet notes. After nearly 70 years of public service, the Queen's husband has shown Harry how to honor fallen war heroes. Remembrance Day often involved the two working as a team to show respect for the nation's fallen. In 2013, Philip even spoke with Prince Harry's Walking With the Wounded team at Buckingham Palace and has often laughed with his grandson in public.
However, Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle seemed to damage their close bond. Vanity Fair explains that the soon-to-be father-of-two slowly lost touch with old friends and his family shortly after the actress came into the picture. After bailing on a hunting trip in which he was the guest of honor, Harry sheepishly explained that Markle didn't want him shooting guns. In Ingrid Seward's book, Prince Philip Revealed, she explained that his grandfather would have taken huge issue with the snub.
However deep-seated the issue may be, hopefully the news Meghan's second pregnancy will bring the two back together.