Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Relationship With Royal Family Is 'Tense,' Source Says

While Prince Harry has been in touch with his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as the Duke of Edinburgh's current health struggles, their relationship is strained, a source tells ET.

The source says that Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have made sure that his grandparents have been able to see their 1-year-old son, Archie, during the pandemic. However, the source says that with Buckingham Palace announcing an internal investigation on Wednesday after allegations that Meghan bullied her royal aids -- which she has denied through a spokesperson -- as well as Harry and Meghan's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey airing on Sunday on CBS, it seems unlikely that relations between the family will improve.

"Things are tense," the source says. "And while Harry loves his grandmother and grandfather, the timing of the Oprah interview has complicated matters."

Early Thursday morning, Buckingham Palace shared that 99-year-old Prince Philip "underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St. Bartholomew's Hospital." ET has learned that Prince Philip's condition was much more serious than originally known due to a long-standing heart condition, but he underwent a successful heart procedure. The source says some members of the family are encouraging Harry to come home amid his grandfather's hospitalization. However, a second source says he has not been asked to return to the U.K.

“Prince Harry has been in touch with his family since Prince Philip became ill and had been advised of the grave nature of his condition," the first source says. "Some members of the family encouraged him to return if possible."

According to the source, while everyone is mindful of the travel restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Harry has used private jets previously and could potentially get safe transportation to London to see his grandfather.

Meanwhile, royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET on Wednesday that Queen Elizabeth's family would probably prefer that the Sunday premiere of Winfrey's no-holds-barred conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex be postponed due to the health concerns surrounding Prince Philip.

"The timing really couldn't be any worse for the royal family," she told ET. This interview is coming at such a difficult time."

"He's clearly very unwell," she continued of Prince Philip. "I think that if he was to take a turn for the worst then possibly there is an argument for rescheduling [Harry and Meghan's interview] and moving it to perhaps a more appropriate time."

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