Lord Fellowes was 82 at the time of his passing and was married to Princess Diana's older sister, Lady Jane Fellowes. The pair, who shared three children, tied the knot in the Royal Military Chapel in 1978, with a young Diana partaking in the ceremony as a bridesmaid.
In his professional life, Lord Fellowes served the monarchy, initially working for Queen Elizabeth II from 1977 through to 1990, climbing from assistant private secretary to her most senior aide.
Born close to the royals at Sandringham in 1941, Lord Fellowes' Royal connections were established early with Princess Elizabeth being one of the first visitors to see him after his birth.
An obituary in The Times recalled a touching remark from Queen Elizabeth saying: "Robert is the only one of my private secretaries I have held in my arms."
In spite of these deep family ties, Prince Harry will be absent from Lord Fellowes' private funeral that is scheduled to happen in Norfolk soon.
Harry and his older brother Prince William shared a close relationship with their Aunt Jane during their childhood, often spending holidays at her Norfolk country house. A few years ago, it would have been expected for both princes to be present at her funeral.
However, with Harry now residing abroad and the brothers' relationship strained, things have changed significantly.
The potential for an uncomfortable reunion has been avoided due to Harry's absence, which is reportedly due to security concerns following the Home Office's decision to downgrade his entitlement after he stepped down as a working member of the Royal Family. People magazine reported that 'security concerns in the UK' were behind his decision.
Additionally, Harry and his wife Meghan have a tour of Columbia scheduled for next week.
As previously reported by the Daily Express, a source revealed that while Harry's UK friends are eager to spend more time with him, his team must provide 28 days' notice before his arrival in the UK. This requirement limits his visits to special occasions or public events planned well in advance.
The funeral of Lord Fellowes is scheduled for next week, and it appears Prince Harry's team won't have enough time to sort out a proper security plan. A source informed the media: "Harry didn't have plans to visit the UK this summer so when something last-minute arises like a funeral, it becomes a very difficult situation to navigate. Harry would like to spend more time in Britain, but it's a logistical nightmare for his team due to ongoing security issues."
Despite the risks, Harry has previously made impromptu visits to the UK. He attended Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022 and returned following King Charles' cancer diagnosis announcement.
Another insider explained how security worries have affected Harry's ability to maintain relationships back home: "There have been times when Harry couldn't attend events that he was invited to. It's a shame because there are family members who love him dearly and he still has several close friends in the UK."
They added: "The nickname 'the uninvitables' was given to them [the Sussexes] because it would be almost impossible to get them to come along to anything. It's not really their fault and because of the Home Office decision, they seem to be suffering because of it."
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