It's thought Meghan Markle missing Prince Philip's funeral 'quietly pleased' the Royal family

She was advised not to fly by her doctors on account of being seven months pregnant.

It's been a tough year for the Royal family - in April, the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, passed away at 99-years-old.

The family held the funeral a week afterwards, with the number of people who could attend limited due to Coronavirus lockdown restrictions at the time.

Meghan Markle was heavily pregnant with her second child when Philip passed, and was medically advised not to travel from America for the funeral. Sadly, her pregnancy kept her from attending.

You'd assume that the family missed the opportunity to catch up with the Duchess, who now lives across the pond with husband Harry and their two children, Archie and Lillibet.

But in new reports today, it's claimed that certain members of the Royal family were 'quietly pleased' that she couldn't make the ceremony.

According to a never-seen-before chapter in the Sussexes' unofficial biography, Finding Freedom, they were worried that her attendance may cause too much of a scene - or as the authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand put it, a 'circus' or a 'spectacle'.

This comes the same week as it's claimed that Harry and Meghan were publicly snubbed by the Royal family in November, and The Queen took her great-grandchildren on a rather special picnic.

The funeral was just a month after her and Harry's tell-all Oprah Winfrey interview, in which they claimed that a member of the Royal family raised concerns about the colour of their son, Archie's, skin.

The ceremony, which took place on April 17th, saw Harry fly from California for the occasion. Although he was there for the proceedings, it's believed he returned straight to his wife, who gave birth to their daughter, Lillibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, two months later.

In a statement, the couple shared: "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili."

"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

The full version of Finding Freedom is due to be published on August 31st - the 24th anniversary of Princess Diana's tragic death.