Meghan Markle handwrote special message to Prince Philip ahead of funeral

Meghan had hoped to attend but was told by her physician she couldn’t travel at this stage in her pregnancy

Olivia Petter
Saturday 17 April 2021 17:42 BST
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Related video: William and Harry walk in funeral procession leaving Windsor Castle
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The Duchess of Sussex has left a handwritten note for the Duke of Edinburgh ahead of his funeral on Saturday.

The note is written on a card that has been placed on the wreath that the Duke of Sussex left on behalf of himself and his wife at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, where the ceremony is taking place.

Meghan had hoped to attend the funeral, however, she was told by her doctor that she couldn’t travel at this stage in her pregnancy.

Instead, she will watch the ceremony from the couple’s home in Los Angeles.

The couple revealed that they were expecting a girl in their interview with Oprah Winfrey last month.

While a specific due date was not mentioned during the interview, Meghan confirmed it would be in the summer.

Before departing for the UK, Prince Harry, who flew to London last week for the funeral, and his wife chose locally-sourced flowers for their wreath, including Acanthus mollis (Bear’s breeches), which is the national flower of Greece and was chosen to represent Prince Philip’s Greek heritage.

The couple also chose Eryngium (sea holly) to represent the Royal Marines.

Additionally, the wreath is comprised of campanula, lavender, rosemary, and roses, which were picked to acknowledge June being the month that Prince Philip was born.

The wreath was designed and handmade by Willow Crossley, who also did the floral arrangements for the Sussex’s wedding in 2018.

It has been accompanied by Meghan’s handwritten note.

The duchess is known for being a skilled calligrapher and it has previously been reported that she wrote her own wedding invitations.

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