Prince Harry is back in the UK; will walk with brother William at Prince Philip's funeral

Prince Harry has returned to the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip.

According to a report in People magazine, Harry arrived in London from California on Sunday, two days after the demise of the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99. Buckingham Palace had previously confirmed that the Duke of Sussex "will be attending" Prince Philip's funeral on April 17 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. However, his wife Meghan Markle who is expecting their second child, a girl, will be staying behind in California with their son Archie.

As per Mail Online, Harry will walk together with his elder brother Prince William, behind the coffin of their grandfather during a procession through Windsor Castle to the chapel on Saturday. The small ceremonial procession will start at 2:40 pm UK time, while the funeral will be broadcast live at 3 pm.

This is the first time the brothers will be face-to-face since Harry and Meghan's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey where they made a number of explosive claims about Buckingham Palace and the royal family. Royal experts said that Harry's arrival, which comes a little over a year since his last visit to the UK when he finished a final round of royal engagements after quitting as a senior royal, could be his chance to repair the "deep damage" caused by the interview.

A source told the outlet that the royal family is "united in grief" following Prince Philip's death even though tensions have been "high" since the fallout caused by the interview. Some royal sources believe that Harry and William's first meeting in such a long time and that too at this time of grief could lead to some kind of reconciliation.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Everyone will be watching the funeral closely to see the body language between the brothers," an insider said.

Walking behind Prince Philip's coffin is expected to be an extremely emotional moment for the royal siblings, who were accompanied by the recently deceased royal when they walked behind the coffin of their mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Prince Philip had reportedly asked then British prime minister Tony Blair's aides to "f*** off" when they suggested William and Harry should walk behind Diana's coffin. "We are talking about two boys who have lost their mother," he had told them. The Duke of Edinburgh ultimately said to his grandsons at a dinner before the funeral, "I'll walk if you walk."