...as her friends lead television coverage of funeral in America

AMERICA’ S coverage of the funeral was led by Meghan Markle’s friends Omid Scobie and Gayle King.

Mr Scobie – a co-author of Finding Freedom, the book published last summer about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – hosted coverage on the ABC network from London.

He said of Meghan: ‘Her mind is very much on the situation over here and she is grieving because she has also lost a family member.

‘She grew very close to the Queen and Prince Philip over recent years. It was probably her strongest relationship within the family and those relations then get smaller this week.’

Mr Scobie, 39, added: ‘Although Meghan isn’t here, she is, of course, supporting Harry.’

Ms King, 66, a self- professed ‘Meghan ally’, hosted CBS’s coverage, opening her broadcast with an overt mention of the rift between Harry and his brother.

‘ William and Harry, there’s no secret about this, have had a strained relationship you could say since Harry stepped away from his Royal duties,’ she said. ‘There is family drama. At the end of the day, this is a family that’s grieving. I would suspect all of the family differences would be set aside for the day.’

Days after the controversial interview given to Oprah Winfrey by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Ms King revealed details of private conversations between Harry and his family.

‘Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too. The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive but they are glad they at least started a conversation,’ she said.