How can Prince Harry fly back to UK for Philip’s funeral?

The Duke will need to quarantine for 10 days on arrival

The Duke of Sussex has reportedly landed back in the UK ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral this weekend.

The Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99 on 9 April, three weeks after returning from a month’s stay in hospital.

The funeral will take place at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel on Saturday 17 April.

With coronavirus restrictions allowing just 30 people at a funeral, it won’t be the large affair usually expected when a senior royal dies.

For the Duke of Sussex, who is now based in California, attending the funeral is a trickier issue given the complex travel restrictions currently in place across the world.

Will Harry and Meghan attend the funeral?

Following the Sussexes’ decision to step down from royal duties last year, there has been some speculation about whether the couple will come to the funeral.

The Duke of Sussex has reportedly flown back to the UK in order to attend the funeral.

Buckingham Palace confirmed over the weekend Harry - who now lives with his family in Montecito in California - would make the journey from the US, marking his first return to the country since stepping down as a senior royal just over a year ago.

The Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with their second child, will remain in California on her doctor’s advice.

Will Harry have to quarantine when he gets to the UK?

Yes. All international arrivals into the UK from anywhere in the world have to quarantine either at home or in a hotel, and they’ll both have to present a negative PCR test on arrival.

The US is not on the “red list” of high-risk countries, which includes the UAE, Qatar and most of South America, triggering hotel quarantine, so Harry will have to quarantine at home for 10 days.

Won’t that mean he misses the funeral?

No, because government advice states: “You are required to self-isolate from arrival and for the first full 10 days after you arrive.

“However, you can leave your place of self-isolation in limited circumstances, including on compassionate grounds.

“This includes attending a funeral of a household member [or] a close family member.”

Will Harry be allowed back into the US?

The presidential proclamation of 14 March 2020 banned UK travellers to the US because their presence “threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security”.

US citizens and permanent residents are exempted, as is “any alien whose entry would be in the national interest”. Presumably Harry falls into one of these categories.

The UK’s Foreign Office travel advice for the US states: “If you are flying to the USA from any foreign country, you must have either a negative pre-departure test result (NAAT or antigen) or documentation of recovery from Covid-19 provided by a licensed health care provider or public health official. You should check the process with your airline before travelling.

“If you are eligible to enter the USA, the CDC requires that you self-isolate for at least seven days on arrival, and that you take a Covid-19 test three-five days after your arrival.”