King Charles's funeral details 'revealed' - and Prince Harry and Meghan are 'at the heart of plans'

Plans for a monarch’s funeral – as we saw with the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – are elaborate and extensive. They require careful advance planning and this understandably takes time.

Although these royal plans are typically kept private by the Palace, The Telegraph has recently shared alleged details about what can potentially be expected from King Charles's funeral. Like his mother’s before him, his funeral will reportedly carry the codename Operation London Bridge.

More intriguingly, the publication claimed that "the Sussexes remain enveloped in the King’s funeral plans at the highest level, with [Harry] expected to walk side by side with his brother."

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited to take part in the family vigil during the lying in state at Westminster Hall and play a prominent role alongside the most senior royals during the funeral service," it reported.

King Charles’s grandchildren from his youngest son, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will also apparently be offered an important role.

The publication continued, "Arrangements have also been made for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to attend the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, as well as the committal at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, should they wish."

"If the Sussexes were included in King Charles's funeral plans I wouldn't be surprised," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "After all, Harry is his youngest son and a State Funeral is a very ceremonial as well as personal occasion for the royals. It's also not something that's limited to working royals.

"There's no reason why Harry, Meghan or their children wouldn't be there to pay tribute alongside the rest of the Royal Family."

His Majesty supposedly including Harry in his funeral plans might be a way of offering an olive branch as their estrangement continues. And it’s not the first sign of peace being brokered that has reportedly been shared in recent weeks.

In June 2025, it was suggested that Prince Harry could potentially extend an invitation to his father and brother, Prince William, to attend the next Invictus Games.

The annual event focuses on sport and wellbeing for those injured or wounded in active service. It will next be held in Birmingham in the United Kingdom in July 2027.

As per The Telegraph, other details of Operation London Bridge are similar in scale and protocol to Queen Elizabeth’s, but there could be some key changes, including nods to his lifelong passion for the environment.

Other suggested differences are in line with Charles’s attitude towards his role as monarch. He has famously been a fan of downsizing and scaling back, including limiting the number of funded working royals.

In keeping with this, the period of royal mourning could end up being reduced. The royal and national mourning period usually starts upon a monarch's death, and it's been claimed that his will last until the day of his funeral.

In contrast, the royal mourning period for Queen Elizabeth concluded a week after her funeral service.