Prince Harry could avoid returning to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Princess Diana after reportedly being left "shocked" by the "frosty reception" he received from the royal family at Prince Philip's funeral.
Royal editor for the Daily Mirror Russell Myers mused that Harry could use the birth of his second child in the coming months as a "convenient excuse" not to turn up and "face the family".
"Some quarters of the family did give him a frosty reception and perhaps that did shock him somewhat," Myers told talkRADIO.
Harry is due to join his brother Prince William, with whom he has a well-publicised rift, to unveil a statue of Diana in Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden on what would have been her 60th birthday - July 1, 2021.
"I'm told he is still committed to coming. Both camps are. Certainly Kate and William will welcome him if he wants to come back," Myers said.
"His intention is to come back. One may wonder, if his wife has just had a baby, [but] I'm sure he could jump on a private jet and made a flying visit."
Myers said that he felt a lot would depend on what happened in the "interim period" between now and the start of July.
"I don't think we will realise the fallout of that Oprah Winfrey interview for some time," Myers said.
"Maybe once we get back to a bit of normality, the rest of the family will start thinking about that a bit more carefully. It might not be good news for Harry."