PRINCE PHILIP: Will Prince Harry show up for funeral?

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Troubled Prince Harry and his grandfather, Prince Philip had always been close.

But when the young royal fled the U.K. and his royal duties with his Hollywood bride Meghan Markle, it caused a deep rift.

And it is unclear whether that Harry’s estrangement had been breached by the time Philip died on Friday at the age of 99.

Now, the question remains whether Harry will attend the expected large ceremonial funeral.

And in honour of Philip, will he try to heal the deepening rift with his family?

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According to the Daily Mail, the couple paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh on their website. It read: “Thank you for your services… You will be greatly missed.”

Sources told the newspaper the prince is likely to attended the funeral slated for next Saturday but pregnant Meghan was doubtful. The Queen is said to expect the family to be united.

“Harry will absolutely do his utmost to get back to the U.K. and be with his family,” a Royal source told the Mail. “He will want nothing more than to be there for his family, and particularly his grandmother, during this awful time.”

Philip was said to be aware of the shocking pally chat that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had with Oprah Winfrey last month that was seen by millions.

But sources told British media that many of the docu-drama’s more sordid details were kept away from Philip.

It hadn’t always been that way.

Prince Harry, with his love of the military and exemplary service record, had been the elderly Philip’s favourite grandchild.

Before Markle, he would often spend nights in at the palace watching TV or playing games with Philip and Queen Elizabeth.

In a biography released last October called Prince Philip Revealed, author Ingrid Seward said the elderly Royal couldn’t understand why Harry wanted to leave the family.

Seward told Vanity Fair that Philip was initially “quite fond” of Markle but soon began “having doubts.”

Eventually, he would allegedly compare the former Suits actress to Wallis Simpson — the American divorcee who triggered the 1936 abdication crisis.

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“For Philip, whose entire existence has been based on a devotion to doing his duty, it appeared that his grandson had abdicated his for the sake of his marriage to an American divorcee in much the same way as Edward VIII gave up his crown to marry Wallis Simpson in 1936,” Seward writes.

Philip struggled to understand his grandson’s decision to leave The Firm.

He was said to be particularly upset about the way the Tinseltown twosome treated the Queen and not consulting with her..

“The Queen was informed 10 minutes before the announcement went live on the website Sussex Royal,” Seward revealed in her book.

“She [the Queen] was not amused. As Philip was in residence, he was also aware of the announcement and its implications.”

Seward told the magazine: “Philip simply cannot understand how Harry has behaved the way he has done. His grandson’s behavior is completely alien to him so not unnaturally the relationship has suffered.

“Don’t forget this is a man about to turn 100 who has devoted 68 years of his adult life to supporting the monarchy, and this has been a great shock. The fact that he was driven away from the big house at Sandringham before everyone even arrived signaled he didn’t want to be part of it.”

While the Queen is head of state, there is no doubt Prince Philip is head of the family. He felt his advice to the young couple was ignored.

“Philip’s way is that he says his bit, and then steps back from the situation because he doesn’t like to interfere,” Seward told the magazine.

“It was up to Harry and Meghan to listen but they didn’t and Philip has always been very protective of the Queen so if anyone upsets her, they upset him too.”

It was reported that when Harry showed up hours late for a hunting weekend, allegedly because Meghan didn’t approve, it made made Philip furious.

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun