An expert has attempted to decode the behaviour of contentious royal Prince Harry following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, passed away peacefully at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on Thursday (local time). She was 96.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, notably travelled to Scotland alone on Thursday and left the estate early - ahead of his family - the following morning. It has since been widely reported that Harry's father and the new King of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms, King Charles III, discouraged his son from bringing his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to Balmoral Castle after the couple announced they would be travelling to Scotland to be by the Queen's side.
This was despite both Harry and Meghan already being in London at the time for the WellChild Awards.
And despite Harry announcing his plans to travel to Balmoral after receiving news of his grandmother's deteriorating condition, he sadly didn't make it to the estate in time to see her before she died.
Harry and Meghan have long stoked controversy following their landmark decision to step down as working royals and pursue financial independence, with the couple relocating to California in mid-2020. The couple have since lobbied allegations of racism and neglect at the royals, stirring rumours of a long-running feud amid the family.
The tension has since sparked numerous reports of a royal rift between Harry and his brother, new heir apparent Prince William, as well as a strained relationship with his father.
Even during such an emotional time, the family's supposedly fraught relations have continued to be the subject of speculation. Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, Katie Nicholl - regarded as a leading expert on the British royal family - has since stated that the reported tension between Harry and his family is "a very important part of the narrative".
Nicholl also said it's clear that Harry is completely devastated by the loss of his grandmother, noting that his emotion is evident in photographs taken of the duke as he travelled to and from Balmoral, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
"I think it speaks volumes that Harry was seen leaving Balmoral and arriving at Balmoral on his own. He looked absolutely grief-stricken and devastated when he left Aberdeen this morning," Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight.
"We know that despite the problems that he had with his brother and his father, he remained very close to the Queen right up until her death and he will be absolutely devastated by the loss. He left Balmoral at 8:30am, probably just after a very quick breakfast this morning."
Despite the Prince's rapid departure "speaking volumes" about the family's frayed relationships behind closed doors, Nicholl said experts are hopeful the Queen's passing may serve as a catalyst for reuniting the once-close brothers.
"I think there is every hope this will hopefully trigger some sort of reconciliation between these two," she added.
"For the past 18 months, [they] have really been brothers at war."
The state funeral for the Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19.
