Harry 'slept through' calls notifying Prince Philip's death: reports

Prince Harry reportedly 'slept through' multiple phone calls attempting to notify him of his grandfather Prince Philip's death at the age of 99.

According to TMZ, a staffer at the US Embassy in London made several attempts to contact the LA-based Duke of Sussex just before 3am (local time) on April 9 but were unsuccessful.

Waking a prince

The outlet went on to allege that the US Embassy then reached out to the Santa Barbara Sherrif's Department to request an officer drive out to the Montecito mansion Harry shares with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Once an officer reached the multi-million dollar property, they reportedly 'made contact with someone' who then informed the prince that he needed to contact the US Embassy immediately.

It's unclear whether Harry was able to learn of his grandfather's passing before the rest of the world.

Buckingham Palace released an official statement at midday UK time, which was 4am in California and just an hour after the US Embassy began trying to contact the duke.

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'It's private' says Palace

The Palace has since responded to TMZ's claims, with a spokesperson refusing to confirm or deny the manner in which Harry learned the sad news.

"Regardless of truth or otherwise, we would not comment on this as it is a personal and private matter which I don't believe is any way to in the public interest to print," they said.

"How someone is told of the passing of a loved one is not really suitable for conjecture or speculation. It is private," they added.

Prince Harry flew back to the UK on April 12 — his first visit since quitting the royal family in January 2020 — to attend Prince Philip's funeral. Heavily pregnant Meghan remained stateside because she could not get medical clearance to fly, and instead sent a wreath and a handwritten note.

The Duke of Edinburgh was honoured with a ceremonial royal funeral at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on April 17.

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