Prince Harry may have opted to stay silent amid criticism of his absence at Prince Philip's memorial, but a royal source claimed that he actually feels bad about not being there with his family.

The British royal family gathered to celebrate the life of the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29. The Thanksgiving service saw the Duke of Sussex's immediate family all in attendance, even including his uncle Prince Andrew and young niece Princess Charlotte and nephew Prince George.

According to The Express, extended family members from Prince Philip's Mountbatten side were also at the service, as well as some European royals.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stayed home at their Montecito mansion in Santa Barbara, California. It is unclear if they had their own memorial for Prince Philip. They have so far stayed mum about their absence in London and not shared a message through their representatives.

The Duke of Sussex has since been branded "disrespectful" and "shameful" for not being there for Queen Elizabeth II at the service. But royal expert Stewart Pearce believes that the 36-year old actually felt sad about missing the memorial.

"I believe it's [Harry's absence] largely to do with the security officials, and that Harry actually feels really down about not being able to attend this remarkable day in celebration of his grandfather, for whom he has tremendous love," he said

It is believed that Prince Harry did not go home for fear of his safety. He has since expressed his concern about his and his family's safety with the lack of police protection. As such, he has petitioned to be allowed to personally pay for his security during visits to the U.K.

He is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the Home Office regarding this concern. Until it is resolved, then he is "unable to return" home.

Despite the reasonable excuse, others still blasted Prince Harry for skipping out on Prince Philip's memorial. A former bodyguard of the Duke of Edinburgh claimed it was "very poor form" for him to miss it. The Duke of Sussex actually could have benefited from the security given to members of the royal family given that it was a family occasion.

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31 October 2015: Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoy the-build up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham Stadium Phil Walter/Getty Images
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