Prince William Was Reportedly 'Furious' To Share Stage With Harry At This Ceremony
Prince William made some rather unflattering headlines in December 2021, due to rumors that he had an affair with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Journalist Alex Tiffin took to Twitter to report that "multiple UK news outlets have had evidence of the affair and his other comments, some even spoke of them on this site before legal threats saw them delete." Tiffin was adamant that the story was true, stating that "no amount of legal pressure is going to erase the fact Prince William had an affair with Rose Hanbury." While Kensington Palace did not comment on the rumors, "courtiers" told the Daily Beast that the story was "totally wrong and false." The outlet noted that William's lawyers have also threatened legal action against publications claiming the gossip is true.
All this came after a tumultuous year for the royal family, who have been dealing with the fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive Oprah Winfrey interview since March 2021. Queen Elizabeth faced some criticism, per The Guardian, after she seemingly downplayed Prince Harry's accusations of racism by a member of the royal family; the queen said "recollections may vary" about an alleged incident involving a family member asking a racist question about the color of baby Archie's skin tone. Prince Charles' brother Prince Andrew is in serious legal trouble and is facing a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.
Now, William is once again under scrutiny as an insider alleged that one of his most-watched events in 2021 was not what it seemed.
Prince William was allegedly angered by Prince Harry's presence at Princess Diana's statue unveiling
In July 2021, Prince Harry and Prince William reunited for the unveiling of their mother's statue at Kensington Palace. Seemingly, Princess Diana's boys had set aside their differences to pay homage to a remarkable woman on what would have been her 60th birthday. However, William reportedly still felt slighted after Harry's Oprah interview. According to The Times (via the Daily Mail), William was "furious" because he "didn't want to attend Princess Diana statue unveiling with Prince Harry," with the source noting that Kate Middleton played the role of "peacemaker" to ensure that the event went smoothly. An aide revealed that she was "amazing behind the scenes when Harry came."
Apparently, when Harry arrived for the unveiling, William was not there to greet him. Instead, James Holt, the former Kensington Palace press officer, welcomed the Duke of Sussex to the event. The Times also alleges that while many thought that Will and Harry were freely chatting among themselves, they limited their conversations to the unveiling itself. What a bummer!
Of course, Harry first returned to his home turf in April 2021 when he attended grandfather Prince Philip's funeral. However, it was Kate who first spoke to Harry and graciously stood aside to allow the brothers to speak after the church service. Is she using her diplomatic skills to work her magic on both brothers? Gosh, we hope so. Because a playdate is long overdue.