At the end of August, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the funeral of his uncle, Sir Robert Fellowes. It had been previously reported that Harry would unfortunately be absent from this funeral due to security concerns in the UK. As a result, family and friends were pleased that the Duke of Sussex was able to attend from Montecito, California. Now, a source suggests that Harry kept his visit to the UK a secret on purpose.

“Hello! magazine's “A Right Royal Podcast” episode, royal editor Emily Nash discussed why Harry did not reveal the trip beforehand. Nash explained, “It was kept so secret that many people close to the family had no idea, and many of those who attended the funeral were really taken aback.”

Prince Harry's supposed reason for keeping his attendance a secret actually makes a lot of sense. After all, the Duke of Sussex reportedly “did not want to distract from the funeral itself,” and keeping out of the spotlight was a “key motivation” this time around.

Nash continued, “He obviously did not want to be the focus of a very sad day for the family.”

Attendees at Lord Fellowes' funeral were reportedly surprised to see both Prince Harry and Prince William at the memorial service at St. Mary's Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, near Sandringham.

Speaking about the funeral, one attendee told People, “Most people were surprised to see Harry there. I could tell he was very happy to see everyone. And they were very happy that Harry came."

The Duke of Sussex reportedly did not stay with the Royal Family, but at Althorpe House, the ancestral home of his late mother, Princess Diana. Since then, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have reportedly been invited by Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer to spend Christmas at Althorpe. It is currently unclear whether Harry and Meghan will spend the vacations in the UK, but it is heartwarming to know that they remain close to Princess Diana's relatives.