It’s not a surprise to me that People Magazine put Prince William and Prince Harry’s reunion on this week’s cover. What is a surprise: the lukewarm tea offered in the cover story. People Mag continues to not really know how to handle their royal coverage these days. They obviously want to stay on Harry and Meghan’s good side so they can get all of the exclusives American readers want. But People Mag is heavily invested in the “Princess Kate” sugar too. So that means there’s nary a mention of the fact that William and Harry did not walk shoulder-to-shoulder at Prince Philip’s funeral by William’s request. William the Work-Shy placed demands on his widowed grandmother and refused to even stand next to his brother during the funeral procession.
After more than a year apart, Prince Harry and Prince William came together to honor their grandfather. The world was watching as the brothers reunited at Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday. The two walked in the procession behind their grandfather’s coffin separated by their close cousin Peter Phillips, but William and Harry chatted together casually as the family exited the chapel following the service.
“The procession choreography, in retrospect, was a mistake,” historian Robert Lacey, author of the bestselling biography Battle of Brothers, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “As we saw, they could have walked side-by-side quite happily after all. What pleased me afterward was that it all seemed so totally natural, and they drifted to each other like the old days.”
Harry, 36, and William, 38, were seen chatting alongside William’s wife Kate Middleton as they left St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The siblings continued speaking as they walked away from the church, as Kate stepped back to talk with Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince William and Prince Harry not walking together in the funeral procession or into the church was “a practical change rather than sending a signal,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said ahead of the funeral. “This is a funeral and we are not going to be drawn into perceptions of drama. The arrangements have been agreed and represent Her Majesty’s wishes.”
Despite tension within the royal family due to Prince Harry and Meghan’s step down from royal life followed by their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired last month, Prince Philip’s death was a time to put family drama aside. “It has been a very difficult time,” a well-connected royal insider says of the past year. “The Duke was the head of the family, and if there were any time they were going to come together, it’s now.”
Yeah, it’s all rather vague. It’s been pretty vague in the British press too, with different contradictory versions of what went down post-funeral and all of that. What’s clear – even if People won’t say it – is that Harry came back to the UK to pay respect to the grandfather he loved. Harry was not making any demands or putting up a fuss about military uniforms or procession choreography, Andrew and William were. It feels noteworthy.
Photos courtesy of WENN and Avalon Red.
To me William looked like he didnt want to really have that stroll back with Harry,it just happened and he couldnt exactly push him off the curb. I could see his clenched teeth from the aerial shot.
Agreed, it looked like he was trying to get away from him.
Harry came, he left, and he conquered. That entire funeral was about him, despite the fact that he was the only one not making demands. This was the first time in a while that the RRs actually seemed energized in their stories, even if they are bullsh*t, and it was the first time that the royals got international coverage in forever. Most of the media was focused on Harry, where he was, what he did, and who he talked to. Harry was and is the star of that family and they lost him.
On another note, he came to honor his grandfather, not make amends, as Omid just reported that Harry did not write a letter to Charles. He also said that issues have not been discussed, dare I say that they were unproductive. Harry also met with the queen privately on two occasions. Omid could be wrong, but he has more credibility than the rest, so I’ll go with his take.
When in comes from Omid, I too am likely to take it seriously. Omid seems to have an excellent take on the family dynamics.
The difference with Omid is that he’s reporting info that he’s gathered as opposed to getting internal PR briefings and being instructed what to write by different factions. The rest of the royal gossip columnists act more like press agents.
Same, I’ll believe Omid over everyone else. Aside from confirming that Harry met with the Queen privately, which we all expected, and that no letter was written, it’s basically the same story as all the other outlets but without all the editorializing.
Family went to funeral. Family met up afterwards and talked and stayed on their best behavior for Granny’s sake. End of.
He also confirmed that Harry had conversations with Charles and with Will (didn’t specify circumstances, whether together or separately). Other reports were all over the place about did he, didn’t he, etc.
One difference with Omid is if he contacts Sussex representatives for information, they’ll talk to him, as opposed to other people and organizations we know they refuse to engage with.
Yeah but Omid wrote also Finding Freedom and it was a lot of fiction as we learned during the trial…and he also said that Meghan and Philip did get along well which I don’t believe,I’m sure Meg was friendly but that’s it…
I think Meghan got along with Philip, as that is what was said by H&M. Philip was retired, he had no need to be insecure and jealous. He had also checked out of family dynamics anyway. What reason would he have to dislike her? They probably weren’t besties, but I believe that they got on fine.
Even Meghan and Harry indicated she got along well with Philip and the Queen and stayed in regular communication.
Harry and Meghan said with their own mouths in the interview that they had/have a good relationship with the Queen and Phillip, even after Sussexit. I’m not sure what more proof is needed to believe that fact.
Does people mag really makes money with their royal family articles ? Despite having an British editor what’s the reason they don’t want to be on the royal family bad side ?
In America, “journalists” do “both sides” coverage, even when one side is a Big Lie. Under Trump, for example, outlets would be shut off of social media for not representing the positive side of what he did (imagine the efforts). It seems in Britain they don’t even try for that appearance, they just Murdoch their way through Big Lies, as if it’s their job to sell propaganda.
Probably because it is.
But both sides means saying the good and the bad about each side. People may only do puff pieces about the royal family
@Woke: I think they want to keep their relationship with Kate and the Middletons, that’s why they’re both siding. There was a time where People was just regurgitating British reports about Meghan and then they got the interview with her friends. This happened under the former editor. But I also believe that the British editor doesn’t want to burn his bridges with his friends in the British press which may be also why People is not taking a side.
Again, giving into the demands of a petulant and petty man-child regarding the death of his grandfather as he applies unwarranted and unnecessary stress on the family! You have to give it to Baldimort in being consistent with his behaviour, always the one making demands and having a tantrum.
That photo of William in profile. Remember Benito Mussolini? Il Duce? Well, meet Bill Duce!
Petulance and arrogance personified, Willy boy is. Ew.
Andrew needs to watch his six, as they say. As soon as mummy passes on, I have a feeling big brother won’t continue to cover for his icky actions, be they past, present, or future.
Tin foil hat theory: Will did not want to talk to Harry, and that’s how and why Harry talked to him.
Hear me out: We saw Kate looked like someone snapped at her. I think she suggested Will wait for Harry. And he bit her head off for it. It’s why people turned and why she dabbed her eyes…probably had a little tear.
Harry saw this, and kept walking to catch up with Wills to stick it to him. It was Harry ensuring Wills original plan of “cold shoulder evil Harry” didn’t play out.
This explains everything and why we haven’t heard any leak of the convo. It was probably something like, “are you really trying to avoid me, Will?” “Damn right I am, Harry”
Makes total sense. I still haven’t visually seen this encounter between Kate, Will, and Harry, but from the sounds of it maybe she was being obvious and loitering, trying to sidle up to Harry and Will snapped at her to knock it off and keep it moving. And Harry could have easily been calling him out on it with a straight face (and the masks certainly would help there, too).
Is anyone ever going to call baldemort out for his bad attitude? I live for the day when a decent credible media does that.
I know this is lazy but can someone tell me about this move Kate made to insert herself between Charles and Harry, or between the brothers, so that the cameras caught it all? I can’t bear to watch any part of the coverage or look too much at photos of the actual procession; it makes me want to scream. But I keep hearing about some pre thought out moves she made to maximise positive reporting or give the impression for a split second that she was being amazingly graceful or impactful. Thanks in advance to anyone with time on their hands to assist!
So this is the part we saw – as they were moving out of the church there were some shifts in the line, I dont have the video up in front of me but as they were shuffling out they stopped to talk to the priest, there’s one shot that looks like Kate and Harry are talking animatedly but I actually think Harry is talking to someone behind her and Kate and Will are talking to the priest. Then Harry moves up to talk to him, William keeps walking, Kate stops and is very obviously waiting for Harry and Harry really has no option to avoid her (if he wanted to.) Then william slows down a step or two and they walk together for a bit. It was clear that Kate wanted footage of her walking with William and Harry.
As calculating as I feared then. She got the peace maker shot she was after. Tick the photo in the car. Tick the power player bringing them back together. All in all a good day’s work for her. Thanks, Becks1, you spared me the scream and the wince.
They walked together after.. but no one has any clue to what was said or if it was even civil. People might have turned because PW was swearing or because PH was.. maybe they both told the peacemaker to “go away”🤷♀️. We will never know until the book is published and then we will have to consider the source.
It all had a weird reality tv vibe.
What’s wrong with Peter walking with them? He is Phil’s oldest grandson and has as much place in the procession as W&H. It could actually be cleverness on the part of the Queen or somebody at BP because it kept viewers watching until the end with the “will W&H speak or not question”?
I think Peter was in between the brothers because he is the favorite grandson of the Queen and Prince Philip. He’s the only one who went to Philip’s alma mater where was captain of the rugby team and I’ve read that Philip admired his independence. I suspect the Queen wanted to give him a prominent role in the procession despite his lack of title.
I think it’s a step in the right direction that not everything was done according to a rigid order of precedence. They’re usually so mired in archaic rules.