Prince Harry reportedly preparing to fly back to UK as he and Meghan privately grieve Prince Philip

Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not expected to release a statement of their own

Prince Harry will reportedly travel to the UK following the death of his grandfather Prince Philip, as he and Meghan Markle privately grieve the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The duke’s death at the age of 99 was announced by the royal family on Friday, with the Palace releasing a statement which read: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

Following the 99-year-old royal’s passing, it has been reported that his grandson, the Duke of Sussex, will return to the UK for the first time in over a year, while questions remain regarding whether the Duchess of Sussex will join her husband.

The duke’s return would come just weeks after the couple participated in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they accused the royal family of raising racially charged questions and failing to offer them mental health support during their time as working members of the royal family.

Both before and after the interview, the couple faced criticism for failing to postpone the wide-ranging conversation, as it came as Prince Philip was hospitalised for 28 days while fighting an infection.

However, according to Winfrey’s close friend Gayle King, the duke and duchess had a contingency plan in place if Harry’s grandfather were to die before the interview aired.

“Well, just so you know, they had done that interview before Prince Phillip went into the hospital,” King had said. “If something, God forbid, had happened to him, the interview would not have run at this particular time. But the interview was done and was scheduled before he went into the hospital. But a lot of people have raised that point.”

Prince Philip was released from the hospital in mid-March, at which point he returned home to Windsor Castle.

While Harry and Meghan, who are currently expecting their second child, have not said whether they will return to the UK to grieve with the royal family, an unnamed source told the Daily Mail that the duke will “absolutely do his utmost to get back to the UK and be with his family”.

“He will want nothing more than to be there for his family, and particularly his grandmother, during this awful time,” the source continued. “Meghan is obviously pregnant so she will need to take advice from her doctors about whether it is safe for her to travel, but I think Harry will definitely go.”

It is also understood by The Independent that the couple, who have not yet released a statement following the death of Prince Philip, will not be doing so today, but will rather be grieving quietly with the rest of the royal family.

In a show of solidarity and mourning, the three in-use official Instagram accounts of the royal family have all had their profile photos changed to their official coats of arms, with @theroyalfamily Instagram, the @kensingtonroyal Instagram and the @clarencehouse Instagram all posting the same black-and-white portrait of the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Harry’s likely imminent arrival in the UK to mourn his grandfather, who would have turned 100 in June, would come just months before he was reportedly set to return in July to unveil a statue of his and Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana.