Inside Prince William and Prince Harry’s tense reunion – what really happened on secret visit

Prince William and Prince Harry both came together with other family members for the funeral of their uncle in Norfolk yesterday – and onlookers have described exactly what happened

Estranged brothers Princes William and Harry came together yesterday in a momentous meet, once again united in grief.

The pair, who have been embroiled in a bitter feud, both attended the funeral of their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes, who sadly died last month at the age of 82. Harry secretly flew from the US to join William at the service at St Mary’s Church in Snettisham where they paid their respects with their Spencer relatives.

It is the first time they have attended the same event since their father King Charles’ Coronation last May – although on that day, they did not sit together and weren’t spotted speaking. Previous reports say the pair have barely spoken since the funeral of the late Queen almost two years ago, with their relationship at such a low ebb, that sources said William would not want Harry at his Coronation when the time comes.

Princes William and Harry attended the funeral of their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes ( 
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In Pictures via Getty Images)
But despite seemingly managing to put their differences aside for yesterday’s service, there were signs of them still keeping their distance from one another. According to The Sun, both brothers ‘discreetly’ attended the service, slipping in and out quietly. And during the service, they tragically sat apart at the back of the church.

One source told the paper how they only saw the brothers at the end of the service adding: “I didn’t know they were there. They arrived very discreetly.” While another noted they did not speak to each other, saying: “William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance.”

Meanwhile, Reverend Dan Tansey, who led the service yesterday, has also told of what the brothers said to him after the service. He told The Sun: “It was only as I was greeting the congregation on the way out that Prince William was shaking my hand, and then very quickly after Prince Harry did too. It was a surprise but a really really pleasant surprise that they had both come. He added: “On the way out, they both said thank you for the service and I thanked them for coming.”

The pair are believed to have kept their distance at the service ( 
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Getty Images)
After the service, which was described as a memorial rather than a funeral, a reception was held, which the vicar said was very relaxed and cordial. However, he added: “I don’t recollect them speaking to each other but there were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them.” The reverand also said it would have meant a lot to Lord Fellowes and his widow Jane, an older sister of Princess Diana, that both brothers made the service.

Elsewhere, royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the Mirror: “Harry is close to Robert Fellowes’ widow Jane. She and sister Sarah come to all of Harry’s UK events and were at Archie’s christening. The thought of having to see his estranged brother would not have worried Harry as much as the other way around. I am certain they were civil to each other. A funeral is not the time to settle scores. Or indeed a time to make up as Harry is well aware.”

The last time William and Harry were seen pictured next to each other was during a walkabout in Windsor with their wives in the days after their late grandmother death in September 2022. Since then, Harry has railed against his royal relatives, especially William, in his bombshell Netflix series and in his explosive memoir, Spare, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan.

William and wife Kate with Harry and wife Meghan in the days after the late Queen’s death in September 2022 ( 
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Earlier this month, The Sunday Times reported that William is unlikely to forgive his younger brother any time soon for his digs against wife Kate in Spare. One friend told the paper: “They are estranged, which is dreadfully sad”, while another added that Harry rarely comes up in conversation with William and explained: “This year his focus has very much been on his wife, his children and his father.”

Meanwhile, Harry’s trip to the UK comes just days before the 27th anniversary of the death of his and William’s late mother Princess Diana. It was on August 31, 1997 that she died at the age of 36 following a fatal car crash in Paris, meaning tomorrow is the sad anniversary of her death.

In many of his recent public appearances, Harry has referenced Diana and her legacy, including last month when he controversially received the Pat Tillman award at the ESPYs for his work setting up his successful Invictus Games for injured servicemen and women.

William and Harry’s uncle Lord Fellowes, who was laid to rest yesterday, was married Diana’s older sister, Jane for over 45 years. They had three children – Laura, Alexander and Eleanor – who are all cousins of William and Harry. Laura is also godmother to William and wife Kate’s only daughter, Princess Charlotte.

Lord Fellowes was also private secretary to the late Queen in the 1990s, including when Charles and Diana’s marriage broke down. He also advised the late monarch when Fergie and Prince Andrew’s marriage ended and Windsor Castle went up in flames, destroying 115 rooms in 1992. He was still in the role when his sister-in-law, Diana, tragically died in a Paris car crash at the age of 36.

His role as a palace courtier meant he often had a strained relationship with his sister-in-law, but when she died suddenly, he said: “I was deeply fond of her. She was a very good person. She found it difficult in life to find happiness, and I’m sad for people who have that situation.” Kensington Palace declined to comment.