Reverend Reveals What Prince Harry and Prince William Said During Joint Appearance at Uncle’s Funeral Service

“I don’t recollect them speaking to each other.”

Prince William Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A reverend is revealing what estranged brothers Prince Harry and Prince William said during their surprise joint appearance at their uncle's funeral.

On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the brothers "discreetly" attended Lord Robert Fellowes' funeral service at St. Mary's Church in Snettisham, Norfolk. Previous reports claimed the Duke of Sussex would not attend the funeral in-person, due to ongoing security concerns.

"It wasn’t a tremendous shock William was there, as that was always a possibility, but I suppose it was more of a surprise that Harry had come," Reverend Dan Tansey, who was in attendance, told The Sun in an interview.

"We've seen Prince William in the village before," the faith leader explained. "If he was going to be there, I didn’t expect to be told as I’d have to keep it quiet for weeks beforehand."

The reverend said he met with both brothers, and told the publication what both encounters with the senior royal family members were like.

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Prince William and Prince Harry.

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)

"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," Reverend Tansey explained, adding that both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex said "thank you for the service, and I thanked them for coming."

Lord Fellowes, the late Princess Diana's brother-in-law and the embattled brothers' uncle, died on July 29 at 82 years of age from an undisclosed cause, The Times previously reported in a published obituary.

Fellowes also served as an assistant private secretary, deputy private secretary, and private secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth.

Reverend went on to say that he did not "recollect" the two brothers "speaking to each other" during the "very relaxed" reception that reportedly followed the memorial service.

prince william prince harry

Prince William and Prince Harry.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"There were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them," he added. "It would have meant a lot to Lord Robert to have them both at the service because I know both he and his auntie love them both very much."

Other sources who were in attendance spoke to The Sun about the brothers' attendance, including one insider who said "both princes were there" and sat in the back of the church.

Another source told the publication that the pair both "arrived very discreetly" and that no one "saw them speak to each other."

"They were keeping their distance," the individual said.

According to The Sun, the surprise joint appearance marks the first time the brothers have appeared in the same room since their father, King Charles', coronation more than a year ago.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.