Prince Harry accused of snubbing Queen Elizabeth

Duke of Sussex will miss memorial service for his deceased grandfather

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their 2018 wedding. Reuters

Prince Harry with son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in Canada. Photo: Sussex Royal

Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with their son, Prince Harry, in 1984. Getty Images

Prince Charles, Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at St Mary Magdalene's church in eastern England in December 2018. Reuters

A personal and undated photo of Diana, Princess of Wales, on holiday with Prince Harry. AP

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, meet a koala during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney in October 2018. AAP

Diana, Princess of Wales, Eton housemaster Dr Andrew Gailey, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles outside Manor House on Prince William's first day at Eton College in Eton, Berkshire, in 1995. Getty Images

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in July 2018. Getty Images

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales with their sons William and Harry aboard Royal Yacht Britannia in Venice in 1985. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in June 2018. Reuters

Prince Harry, Prince Philip and Prince William attend the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand against Australia at Twickenham in 2015. Reuters.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son Archie, while meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2019. Reuters

Prince William poses with David Beckham and Prince Harry at an FA reception at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010. Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at Auwal Mosque, the first and oldest mosque in South Africa, in the Bo Kaap district of Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2019. Reuters

An official engagement photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House. Reuters

One of the official wedding photos of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, taken on the East Terrace of Windsor Castle. AP

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex participates in a gumboot throwing competition with Prince Harry in Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2018. AFP

Prince Harry during his five-month deployment in Afghanistan in 2012. EPA

An official photo released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following Archie's christening in July 2019. AP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for a CBS special released in March 2021. Reuters

Britain's Prince William and Prince Harry enjoy a concert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in June 2002. AP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speaking about their engagement in November 2017. AP

Prince Harry poses with Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, London, after announcing their engagement in 2017. Reuters

Prince Harry and former US president Barack Obama watch a wheelchair basketball event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada, in September 2017. Reuters

Britain's Prince Harry embraces a fan during a public walk in Melbourne in October 2018. AFP

Raja Al Gurg with Emirates Group chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed and Prince Harry. Photo: Motivate Publishing

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Centenary of the Armistice Service at Westminster Abbey in London, England, in November 2018. WireImage

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex sail across Sydney harbour at Sydney Olympic Park in October 2018. WireImage

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the New Zealand House to sign the book of condolence on behalf of the Royal Family in London in March 2019. Reuters

Prince Harry and and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with their newborn baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Windsor in May 2019. AFP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor following his christening. AP

Prince William and Prince Harry the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Princess Diana in London in August 2007

Prince Charles with Princess Diana and sons Harry and William at Balmoral in 1988. Getty Images

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh reacts as he talks with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex as they leave St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Windsor, after the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston in May 2019. AFP

Archie as a baby, holding Prince Harry's hand. Photo: Sussex Royal

Prince Harry, pictured competing during the 3rd annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in New York in June 2010

Prince William and Prince Harry look on during a visit to a classroom during a lesson for herd boys, in Semongkong, Lesotho, in June 2010. Getty Images

Prince Harry was accused on Saturday of snubbing his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after announcing that he will miss the memorial service for Prince Philip.

Prince Philip was husband to the queen and Harry's grandfather.

The announcement comes amid a legal dispute over Harry's security protection in Britain.

While a representative confirmed that Harry will skip the service in Westminster Abbey on March 29, he is reportedly set to attend the Invictus Games starting in the Netherlands only two weeks later.

After days of front-page coverage about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Sun newspaper carried the headline: “Harry's Phil snub.”

Royal biographer Angela Levin accused the California-based Harry of “blackmail” regarding the service for his grandfather, after the UK government withdrew his royal protection detail.

The second son to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles “has snubbed the Duke of Edinburgh (Philip) but really he is snubbing the queen”, Ms Levin told UK media.

Prince Philip, who was married to the queen for 73 years, died last April just weeks short of his 100th birthday.

His funeral was held under strict coronavirus restrictions, with only 30 mourners including Harry. The queen sat alone, respecting the government guidelines.

Given the restricted nature of the funeral, this month's memorial service is meant to offer an opportunity for a national celebration of the Duke of Edinburgh's long life and service.

Harry's representative Friday did not give a reason why he will miss it, but said he hopes to visit his grandmother “soon".

The funeral was one of only two occasions that Harry has returned to the UK since he and wife Meghan Markle quit royal life and moved to North America two years ago.

As a result of their decision, the UK government withdrew his taxpayer-funded protection on visits back to Britain, a move that Harry is challenging in the courts.

Commentators queried why Harry would feel unsafe visiting Britain but not the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, a sporting event he founded for disabled military veterans that starts in The Hague on April 16.

ITV News royal editor Chris Ship tweeted that Harry was pressing ahead with his attendance at the week-long event, but had “concluded he isn't safe in [the] UK without the access to intelligence he has asked for".

Harry is filming a behind-the-scenes documentary about the Invictus Games as part of a multi-million-dollar deal with Netflix.

Queen Elizabeth meanwhile has pulled out of attending another service in Westminster Abbey, for Commonwealth Day on Monday, after a period of fragile health including a mild bout of Covid.