Prince William Requested Cousin Stand Between Him and Harry at Funeral: Report

WINDSOR, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Peter Phillips, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince
Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Victoria Friedman

Prince William asked for his cousin Peter Phillips to walk between him and Prince Harry during the funeral cortege, according to reports, suggesting there were continued strained relations following Meghan and Harry’s accusations-charged interview.

Sources speaking to the Mail on Sunday claimed Prince William the Duke of Cambridge made the request, with a friend of Prince Harry allegedly telling the tabloid: “He’s just doing what he’s told and getting on with it.”

Peter Phillips, 43, is the son of Anne, Princess Royal and Mark Phillips and is the oldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Media reported that he was also one of the couple’s favourite grandchildren, likely guaranteeing his place so far up in the funeral procession. However, at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in 2002, Harry and William were seen walking shoulder to shoulder with Peter to Harry’s left, further suggesting Peter’s placement at his grandfather’s funeral was an intentional division of the brothers.

There appeared to be less tension between Harry and William after the funeral ceremony; however, sources speaking to the Mail said that Harry had experienced “a great deal of frostiness” from members of the Royal Family, because there remains “a deep sense of protection towards the Queen and resentment towards Harry. There is little sympathy for him after what he and Meghan said on Oprah.”

“They are still very upset… They all think he has behaved appallingly,” the source added.

In March, Harry and Meghan alleged a member of the Royal Family had made a remark relating to the colour of then-unborn Archie’s skin and claimed that the former TV actress had not received mental health support. The Duke of Edinburgh was in hospital at the time the interview was aired.

Queen Elizabeth II took the extraordinary measure of issuing a statement following the interview, saying that while she was “saddened” to hear Meghan and Harry’s feelings towards events in the past few years. Nevertheless, she challenged their version of events, saying that with regards to the comments of race, “some recollections may vary”.

Prince William was even more forceful in defence of his family, later telling media: “We are very much not a racist family.”

Remarking on the day of the funeral, Brexit leader Nigel Farage said “thank goodness Meghan didn’t come”.

“It’s turned out that Piers Morgan was pretty much right. When Piers said that he barely believed a word that she said, as you go through the claims made in that interview with Oprah Winfrey, you find again, and again, and again, things were either plain wrong or certainly inaccurate,” Mr Farage said.

Several sources have come forward in the weeks following the interview to counter her claims, including that Meghan’s mental health problems were ignored, with one source saying said that the couple mental health was a “very open part of the conversations generally” in the palace offices.

Others denied that Prince Charles had cut off Harry financially for the first three months of 2020, after the couple announced they were stepping back from active royal life, with a source close to the Prince of Wales saying the claims were “a surprise to hear…given the bank statements. The prince continued to provide Harry and Meghan with financial support after their move to America, while they found their feet.”

Another claim that Meghan made, which was backed by Harry, was that the couple was secretly married — “Just the three of us” — in private by the Archbishop of Canterbury in their garden three days before the public wedding. The remarks gave rise to objections that such a claim could be true, as under Church of England rules, weddings must take place inside in a sanctioned building, be witnessed by two other people, and that a couple cannot be married twice, even to each other.

Amidst the pushback from clergy and commentators who doubted they could have been married twice, the couple was forced to admit that they were not married before the televised wedding, with Archbishop Justin Welby being put in the position to also deny the claims.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace had reportedly hired external investigators to look into claims that Meghan had bullied royal staff and engaged in “unacceptable behaviour” towards employees during her time as an active member of the household, including allegedly reducing one to tears.

The Sun reported claims that Harry spoke to his brother and father for two hours after the funeral in what could be signs that the rift is healing. Other reports claim Harry could delay his return to California to stay for the Queen’s 95th birthday.

Meghan did not attend the funeral, with reports citing her pregnancy. Claims made last week allegedly by a friend of the former actress that Meghan was “ready to forgive” the Royal Family.

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