Prince William and Prince Harry Were Reportedly Told to Put Their Feud on Hold for Prince Philip's Funeral

Prince William and Prince Harry reunited in person for Prince Philip's funeral this month and were reportedly told to put their personal feud aside.

  • While they appeared as a united front at Prince Philip's funeral last week, Prince William and Prince Harry's feud may not be over yet.
  • According to royal correspondent and author Katie Nicholl, the brothers were told to put their feud on hold during the somber event, which they did.
  • "It was a case of being told to put their differences aside by the Queen for the sake of the family," a family friend told Nicholl. "William and other members of the family have some very strong feelings about some of the things Harry and Meghan said on Oprah and things need to be talked through, but this was not the occasion and everyone respected that. It’s going to take more than a wake to sort things out, but this is hopefully a start."

Prince William and Prince Harry showed a united front at Prince Philip's funeral last weekend, but it may not mean their feud is over for good.

According to Vanity Fair royal reporter Katie Nicholl, the brothers were reportedly told explicitly to put their feud on hold for the somber occasion. 

"It was a case of being told to put their differences aside by the Queen for the sake of the family," a family friend told Nicholl. "William and other members of the family have some very strong feelings about some of the things Harry and Meghan said on Oprah and things need to be talked through, but this was not the occasion and everyone respected that. It’s going to take more than a wake to sort things out, but this is hopefully a start."

Nicholl suggests that the edict came down from the monarch herself, writing, "For the Queen, who cut a lonely figure as she sat by herself in St George’s Chapel, the instructions to William and Harry had been clear: bury the hatchet for the day, and thankfully they did."

According to the Vanity Fair report, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle's, interview with Oprah and subsequent leaks to the press regarding conversations Harry had with members of the royal family afterwards have left William hesitant to fully put the feud behind him.

"Harry was out in the cold after Oprah and then when details of private family conversations were leaked to Gayle King it was the final straw. Some family members cannot believe what he has done, but there is a feeling that with the Duke’s death and the family coming together, conversations need to be had," the source said. "William needs to know he can trust Harry and that private conversations will stay private."

Any further in-person attempts to heal the relationship will have to wait, however, as Harry reportedly flew back to the United States shortly after the funeral to be with Meghan, who is thought to be more than seven months pregnant, and their son Archie.

"Harry felt terrible leaving Meghan behind, it has been a very hard week and he wants to get back to her as soon as possible," a royal source said of the situation.

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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.