What’s stopping Prince Harry from returning to UK? His former friend reveals, ‘these are not normal times’

Lord Robert Fellowes passed away on August 5 at the age of 82. While Prince Harry's representatives haven't confirmed if he will attend the funeral, the Duke of Sussex is under increasing pressure to return home and reunite with Royal Family over his uncle’s funeral.

One of Harry's former friends, who has lost contact with him since his exit from the UK, spoke about the possibility of Harry attending the funeral.

Normally, it would be unthinkable for Harry not to support Jane during such a time, the friend told The Daily Beast. However, Harry’s presence might cause unnecessary tension given the current circumstances.

“The death will be a huge blow to the Spencer family. In normal times it would be unimaginable that Harry would not be there to support Jane. Of course, he would want to be there. It will be a huge gathering of the Spencer clan,” the friend said.

“But these are not normal times, and it may well be that everyone feels Harry’s attendance would just create too much drama. It will be very sad for him if he can’t make it,” the friend added.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have already gone to Scotland. Prince William, Kate Middleton and their kids will join them. This journey will be the longest one the Princess of Wales will take since her cancer diagnosis.

Who was Lord Robert Fellowes?

Lord Fellowes was married to Princess Diana's older sister, Jane Fellowes, and served as Queen Elizabeth's private secretary from 1990 to 1999, a particularly challenging period of her reign.

He was praised for convincing the Queen to come back to London after Princess Diana had been killed in an accident in 1997. He wrote most of the remarkable speeches Elizabeth delivered live to the nation. In one of the speeches, the late Queen honoured Diana as an "exceptional and gifted human being".

Diana, however, did not like Fellowes, whom she saw as one of the anonymous "men in grey". She even believed he might have been involved in wiretapping her phone.