London (CNN) – Prince Harry flew back to the UK from his home in the United States on Sunday for the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, British media reported Monday.
The Duke of Sussex is said to have been spotted at London Heathrow Airport at 1:15 p.m. disembarking a British Airways flight from Los Angeles, the Sun newspaper reported, citing an eyewitness.
Official sources have declined to comment on Harry’s travel movements, but a Buckingham Palace spokesman said this weekend that the prince “plans to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip,” on Saturday in Windsor.
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The trip marks Harry’s first time to return to the UK since he and his wife Meghan stepped back as royalty last March.
How can Harry attend Prince Philip’s funeral?
Harry will likely want to follow existing coronavirus travel rules for international travelers to the UK and observe a quarantine period before attending the funeral.
Under those rules, travelers must complete a passenger locator form and provide proof of a negative coronavirus test before departing for the UK.
Once in England, visitors must be quarantined at home or in a managed quarantine hotel for 10 days. During mandatory quarantine, two additional covid-19 tests are required on days two and eight.
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Harry could use the UK government’s “proof-of-exit” system to end his quarantine prematurely. This allows a person to take a private COVID-19 test on the fifth day of arrival to get out of self-isolation if the test result is negative. They should be quarantined pending the test result.
There is also a guide for mourners entering the country that allows them to come out of isolation in “limited circumstances” for compassionate reasons, including “attending the funeral of a family member, close relative or friend”. The individual must separate himself from other moments at all times.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will not be joining her husband Harry for Prince Philip’s funeral. She is expecting the couple’s second baby this summer and “her doctor has advised her not to travel to the UK” from California, where they live, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Saturday.
The Queen has approved a ceremony adapted to the plan approved by the Duke of Edinburgh years ago to respect pandemic restrictions.
Prince Philip will be buried in a private funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, in what is known as a “ceremonial royal burial,” and will not remain in a burning room, the palace explained to the press.
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Under royal protocol, state funerals are usually reserved for monarchs, so the duke’s funeral will be similar to that of the Queen Mother in 2002, the spokesman explained.
The revised arrangements have been in “close consultation” with government and public health officials to meet physical distance guidelines, which limit funerals to 30 people.
CNN’s James Frater and Lindsay Issac contributed to this report.