Peacemaker Kate helps William and Harry put on a united front for Grandpa Prince Philip
Following the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral service, there was a flicker that the frost between William and Harry might be beginning to thaw.
Reunited in grief after more than 12 months, but still divided by deep wounds, the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex attempted to present a united front at Prince Philip’s funeral.
They were helped by the royal family’s “peacemaker”, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Not walking shoulder to shoulder behind the coffin of their “Grandpa” as so many had hoped, but, pointedly, side-by-side once again after the service, William and Harry pressed pause on a family rift that has shattered the brothers’ once rock-solid bond.
It came only weeks after the Sussexes’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, where they claimed a member of the royal family had raised concerns about the colour of their son Archie’s skin, and where Harry, 36, described his relationship with William, 38, as “space”.
Yesterday (Saturday), that distance was diplomatically provided by the buffer of Peter Phillips, Princess Anne’s son, who walked between them for the funeral cortege.
The first sight of William and Harry came as they stood in the shade of Windsor Castle’s state entrance, steeling themselves for the eight-minute processional walk to St George’s Chapel, behind the coffin.
It was 24 years since their mother’s death forged between them what seemed to be an unshakeable unity. On that occasion the world had watched, hearts in their mouths, as they walked solemnly behind Diana’s coffin, two boys crushed by grief and scrutiny. This time the grief may be less acute but the scrutiny was no less intense, their every look and gesture pored over for clues about the state of their troubled relationship.
As they emerged into the dazzling sunshine, Harry looked up and around the castle quadrangle, lined with soldiers, taking in all the pomp and pageantry that is now a lesser part of his life, having stepped back from official duties. William kept his gaze firmly ahead, a flickering jaw muscle the only hint of tension as the procession halted in front of the chapel’s west steps for the national minute’s silence.
As they walked, three in a line, Phillips seemed to hang back, a deferential half-step behind them, creating space for them to interact, an opportunity they did not initially embrace.
Inside the chapel, the brothers also sat apart, William next to Kate, Harry, directly opposite and alone, facing each other across the tomb of Henry VIII, their heads bowed in prayer and reflection for parts of the service.
Since Prince Philip’s death, royal watchers have speculated that his loss, the Queen’s grief and Harry’s presence at the funeral, might start a royal reconciliation between royal brothers. After the service, there was a flicker that the frost might be beginning to thaw.
As the royal family emerged from the chapel, Kate, who William has called a “peacemaker”, began chatting animatedly to Harry, who seemed to visibly relax, no longer on his own. Then, in an unexpected change of plan, instead of getting into their cars separately, waiting for them outside the chapel, the royal family decided to walk back to the castle together, with William and Harry finally side-by-side, chatting together all the way up Chapel Hill.
A source close to the Sussexes confirmed that Meghan, who is heavily pregnant with their second child and was advised not to travel, watched the service from the couple’s home in California.
In their own tribute, Harry and Meghan arranged for a wreath to be by Philip’s side, one of nine family wreaths lying next to his coffin during the service. Arranged by Willow Crossley, the florist who created the flowers at the evening reception for their 2018 wedding and for their son Archie’s christening, the blooms included Bear’s breeches, the national flower of Greece, in tribute to Philip’s heritage and sea holly to represent the Royal Marines, of which Philip was Captain General for 64 years, a position Harry also held until earlier this year. There were also campanula for gratitude and everlasting love, lavender for devotion, and a private, handwritten message from Meghan, 39, on behalf of them both. The rest of the royal family kept the details of their floral tributes private.
Harry had flown in from California last Sunday, and isolated for five days at his UK home, Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, to attend yesterday’s (Saturday’s) service, where he was reunited with the royal family for the first time since the awkward gathering at last March’s Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey, the Sussexes’ final engagement as working royals, where the tension with the rest of the family was visible.
In the immediate aftermath of the interview with Winfrey last month, where Harry said his brother was “trapped” in “the system”, William was said by close friends to be “reeling”. Some said Harry’s decision to speak out while their grandfather lay gravely ill in hospital is said to have been the “final straw” for William, who was furious at what he saw as disrespect to the Queen.
The American television presenter Gayle King, a friend of the Sussexes and Winfrey, claimed the first conversation between the brothers after the interview was “not productive”. Friends say he [William] is now “much calmer” but no less “devastated” by the damage done.
Last week, when each issued separate tributes to Philip, it was clear there are still tensions. William appeared to be in a less than conciliatory mood with his statement, which ended with the words: “Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.” The words were widely interpreted as a dig at Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties last year.
A source close to the brothers said: “That last sentence or two wouldn’t have been easy listening for Harry, but that whole point about duty and service was really what their grandfather was all about and imported to them particularly.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said last week: “This is a funeral and we won’t be drawn into perceptions of drama.” But royal aides were reported to have been “on eggshells” while navigating the brothers’ relationship while planning the funeral.
It is thought Harry is keen to spend some time with the Queen, the Prince of Wales, William and his wider family in the coming days, and may remain in the UK for the monarch’s 95th birthday on Wednesday, which will be marked privately, before returning to California.
In his interview with Winfrey, Harry said of William: “I will always love him ... Time heals all things, hopefully.” Harry would be wise not to set his stopwatch, but the grieving queen and her family will certainly draw some comfort that the brothers are finally together. And talking.
The Times
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