Prince William reportedly made a heartbreaking plea during his and younger brother Prince Harry’s now-infamous disagreement at grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral
Prince William reportedly begged Prince Harry during a tense altercation at their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral, making a heartbreaking plea of his younger brother.
According to Harry’s explosive 2023 memoir Spare, peace talks with William and their father King Charles III turned heated following the poignant April 2021 ceremony, which took place mere weeks after Harry and Meghan’s jaw-dropping interview with Oprah Winfrey.
This now-famous interview saw serious allegations made about Meghan’s short time as a working member of the Royal Family, including shocking claims of racism.
The once close brothers argued bitterly at Prince Philip’s funeral
While walking around Windsor, near Frogmore Cottage, Harry, 39, felt as though his father and brother weren’t acknowledging some of the issues that had caused him to flee Britain for a new life in California. As he turned to leave, Harry claims William, 42, ‘lunged’, grabbing him by the shirt.
He wrote in his book:” I pulled away, refused to meet his gaze. He forced me to look into his eyes. ‘Listen to me, Harold, listen! I love you, Harold! I want you to be happy’.”
In response, Harry reportedly told his elder brother that, although he loved him too, his ‘stubbornness is extraordinary’. The Duke says he tried to remove himself from William’s grasp, but the heir to the throne wouldn’t relent.
According to Harry: “[William said:] ‘Harold, you must listen to me! I just want you to be happy, Harold. I swear I swear on Mummy’s life’. He stopped. I stopped. Pa stopped. He’d gone there. He’d used the secret code, the universal password. Ever since we were boys those three words were to be used only in times of extreme crisis.”
Unconvinced by his sibling’s plea, Harry continued: “Willy wasn’t quite ready to accept defeat. ‘I’ve felt properly sick and ill after everything that’s happened and, and I swear to you now on Mummy’s life that I just want you to be happy’. My voice broke as I told him softly: ‘I really don’t think you do’.”
The warring brothers temporarily reunited for the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, this week. However, mourners noticed that the pair still weren’t on speaking terms.
One source told The Sun that although William and Harry ‘were only five yards from each other’, they were seated on opposite sides of St Mary’s Church in Norfolk, and didn’t appear to communicate after the service.
The source shared: “They were sat two or three rows back from the front, not at the back, but they were on opposite sides of the aisle. And then there were family members on the rest of the seats between them, so maybe that is something that was arranged.”
They continued: “A lot of people were taking the chance to speak to them. They were only about five yards from each other, it was virtually back to back. When we left the reception they were both still there, but as we were on a walk we saw Harry driven off in a black Range Rover.”
