Update (May 18, 2018):
Prince Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip has arrived at the royal wedding. The occasion marks the royal retiree's first public appearance since undergoing hip replacement surgery last month. Luckily, it appears as though the Prince has made a speedy recovery, looking fit and fashionable in a traditional tailored suit coat.
Getty Images
Original:
Following weeks of speculation, Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that Prince Philip will be attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. This follows the news that Prince Charles will be walking Meghan down the aisle on the big day.
According to People, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news on Friday, saying that "Prince Philip will make his post-surgery debut at his grandson, Prince Harry's royal wedding." The Queen's husband has been making a steady recovery following surgery earlier this year.
Previously, Kensington Palace unloaded a slew of royal wedding details, from Meghan Markle’s decision not to have a maid of honor to the by-the-hour schedule of the May 19 ceremony; but one thing it waited to clarify was whether Prince Philip, Prince Harry's grandfather, was confirmed to attend.
A spokesperson from the palace had reportedly said "we very much hope" that the Duke of Edinburgh, 96, would be present at the nuptials. Prince Philip, who retired from his royal duties a year ago, underwent hip replacement surgery in mid-April.
Prince Phillip is currently recovering at Windsor Castle, where the wedding will take place, which will make it easy for him to travel to the ceremony. According to the Queen, he's "getting on very well."
Below, royal experts weigh in on whether Prince Harry's beloved grandfather will be present for the biggest wedding ceremony of the decade.
Prince Philip will likely attend the ceremony.
"No question about that," former royal editor for The Sun and Prince Harry biographer Duncan Larcombe tells BAZAAR.com. "He is the head of the royal family. Although the Queen is obviously the Queen, he's the boss, and Harry is very, very fond of him."
But he still has to follow medical advice. "I definitely think the Duke of Edinburgh hopes to be at Harry and Meghan's wedding, but ultimately he will be following the advice of his doctors," says royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter.
"He has an iron will and even though he's 96, he's incredibly fit and well in every other regard so no doubt he's mentally committed to attending. It is a family occasion and he would be enormously disappointed to miss out," she adds.
Marlene Koenig, founder of the Royal Musings blog, agrees: "I want to think that Philip will do everything in his power to attend his grandson's wedding, even if he is in a wheelchair." (Larcombe, however, believes there's "no chance" the Duke will be using a wheelchair at the wedding.)
Getty ImagesPrince Philip and Prince Harry in 2014
But he might not stay for the reception.
After Harry and Meghan exchange vows at St. George's Chapel, two receptions are planned to follow: one daytime luncheon at St. George's Hall, and an evening celebration at Frogmore House. Prince Philip might take it easy and not attend both afterparties.
"My understanding is he'll go to the wedding, maybe go to the first reception, and then he won't go to the second reception," Larcombe says. Koenig thinks there's a possibility he might skip the daytime reception too.
What if he doesn't attend at all?
"If Philip is confined to his room, I would expect he would watch the ceremony on TV—and, I would think, after the wedding, Harry would bring his new wife to see his grandfather and perhaps enjoy a piece of elderflower and lemon cake together," Koenig says.
Getty ImagesPrince Harry and Prince Philip in 2016
Prince Philip won't have an actual role at the wedding.
The Duke of Edinburgh will be at St. George's Chapel accompanying the Queen and being a supportive grandfather to the groom, Larcombe and Koenig say. However, he won't have a defined function like Meghan's parents or Prince William do.
"Neither the Queen nor Prince Philip would have any reason to 'participate' in the wedding, but they would be there in attendance just as any other grandparent would be," Arbiter says. "This is, after all, the happy ending everyone has wished for Harry."
Prince Phillip and the Queen will arrive right before the bride does.
Though the Prince won't have an exact role in the nuptials, he and Queen Elizabeth II will still follow royal tradition for their entrance to the ceremony. (Members of the royal family typically arrive to official events according to rank, according to Hello!.) "The Queen will be the last person to arrive before Meghan comes down the aisle and Philip will be right there with her," Larcombe explains.
Prince Philip and Prince Harry have a close relationship.
"Both William and Harry are very close to their grandparents," Arbiter explains. "They always have been, but the bond was really solidified when they lost their mother. The Princes were up at Balmoral when Diana died and both the Queen and Prince Philip rallied around [them] to do everything they could in terms of offering comfort and support."
Getty ImagesPrince Philip joined Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry, and Prince Charles at Princess Diana’s funeral procession in 1997.
It also helps that Philip and his grandson have similar personalities. "In many ways, Harry's like a mini version of him, in terms of the great sense of humor, great fun, and Harry is very, very close to him," Larcombe points out.
He approves of Harry's relationship with Meghan.
"He wasn't fond of several members of the royal family, but as far as I understand, he's very fond of Harry and very fond of Meghan, so I don't think there's any issues there," Larcombe says.
"I think like many people, Prince Philip is very excited about the fact that Harry is marrying for the right reason. He's marrying because he's head over heels in love. No question about that," he adds.
Getty ImagesPrince Philip with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Christmas Day 2017
Harry could even pay homage to him with his wedding outfit.
In December, Harry succeeded his grandfather as Captain General of the Royal Marines. "I think Philip is enormously proud of Harry's achievements," Arbiter says. "It's possible that Harry may wear his Captain General uniform on the wedding day which would be a particularly nice tribute to Philip."
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
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