Prince Harry Said Funeral Was ‘As Philip Wanted’ As He Spoke To Brother William After Funeral, Lip Reader Claims

Apr 18, 2021

On Friday, April 9, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away at the age of 99 years old. Not long before his death, the Queen's beloved husband was discharged from the hospital after spending several days there due to complications with an infection. Prince Philip's infection was reportedly not due to coronavirus, as he and the Queen were vaccinated in January of this year, according to BBC. Philip's passing ends his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total.

Philip's funeral on April 17, 2021, was a quiet affair with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but this could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The guestlist of 30 people only comprised of the closest royal family members, which naturally included Prince William and Prince Harry. The brothers have faced challenged in their relationship for the last year and the whole world had their eyes on the brothers' interaction at the funeral. 

The funeral was, in some ways, a segue for the family to heal after a tumultuous time. Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's abrupt departure as senior working members of the Royal Family in March 2020, this is the first time that Harry and his family have reunited. Many analysts have studied the body language between William and Harry after the funeral and believe that the estranged brothers may be on their way to healing their rift. 

BBC reported that the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge were seen talking together after they left the funeral of their grandfather. During the procession from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel, the princes walked with their cousin Peter Phillips between them. After the service, however, the brothers were deep in conversation and later were joined by Harry's sister-in-law Kate Middleton. 

After other mourners had left the chapel after the funeral service, William let Harry and Kate catch up before joining them. The three of them then walked together, before Kate stepped back ever so slightly so that the brother could walk and chat together. This small gesture by Kate allowed a pathway for the brothers to connect in a better way. 

Now, with body language analysts and lip readers, more is being revealed about the conversation between Harry and William.

Express UK reports that when sharing a private moment together after the service, William reportedly said “Yes it was great, wasn’t it”, to which Harry replied “It was as he wanted” according to lipreaders' analysis. 

The brothers then approached the Archbishop of Canterbury to have a chat after which interpreters believe William said to his brother, "Absolutely beautiful service, ah, the music." Even though the exchange said between the brothers was relatively common, it seems to be the beginning of healing their relationship. 

About their interaction, ITN’s Tom Bradby said, "It’s often said funerals are a time for reconciliation and that’s a scene a lot of people wanted to see, not least the family itself."

The brothers have one shared thing between them for sure: the love for their grandfather. Royal author Sally Bedell Smith said in an interview, "William was 15 and Harry 12 when they walked behind their mother Princess Diana’s casket, and their grandfather’s funeral will have evoked deep memories of that." The tragic loss of their mother was especially devastating for William and Harry due to the nature of the loss as well as the media frenzy that came right after. Among the tributes that came flooding in after Philip's death, one of the most heartwarming things that came to be known was that Philip had stepped up to be their support during the most difficult time in their lives.

The Duke of Edinburgh was indeed a devoted and loving grandfather throughout his life and told his grandsons the day before Diana's funeral, "I'll walk if you walk." This fact was fortified once more by Princess Anne's revelations during an interview with UK's ITV after her father's death. "I seem to remember them saying that, in fact, it was a question of, 'If you'll do it, I'll do it,'" Princess Anne said.

"That was him as a grandfather. ... 'If that's what you want to do and if you want me to be there, I will be there.'"

The photograph of two young boys walking at the funeral procession is haunting even today, but both William and Harry were supported by their beloved grandfather, and this shared grief of losing him between the brothers is one way for them to support each other through a difficult time.  

What do you think of this exchange between the brothers? Do you think their rift can be healed? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let your friends know about the hopefully thawing relationship between Harry and William.