Remembrance Sunday: All eyes on the ‘frosty’ four
As the fallen are honoured, the feuding Royal foursome will be seen in public for the first time since that documentary
The laying of the wreath at the Cenotaph to mark Remembrance Sunday is one of the most solemn occasions in the UK’s formal calendar. To remember the millions who fell in Britain’s wars and conflicts, senior figures gather for the ceremony to lay poppies - including members of the Royal Family. This year, both Kate and William and Harry and Meghan are expected to attend, as befits their roles as senior Royals, but inevitably, all eyes are bound to be on the two couples – and for a reason that has nothing to do with the war dead.
The ceremony will be the first time William and Harry and their wives have been seen in public since the explosive documentary about Harry and Meghan’s African tour, in which Harry appeared to confirm the sad truth that the once-close brothers are now at loggerheads.
The rumours of a rift have raged for over a year, and it was noticeable as far back as Easter Sunday, as the family attended church at Windsor, that the brothers appeared to be avoiding each other, with their body language described as ‘frosty’. And when Harry was asked about the rumours by interviewer Tom Bradby, he failed to deny the fall-out, saying that they were on ‘different paths’ and ‘ had good days and bad days’. Poignantly, he said, ‘I love him dearly’, adding, ‘I’ll certainly always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me’.
But it was painfully apparent that all is not as it once was between the siblings, who were once incredibly close. To rub salt into the wound, William is said to have had no prior knowledge of the content of the documentary, but was sufficiently concerned to allegedly comment that he hoped that Harry and Meghan were ‘alright’ (although another rumour suggested he was ‘furious’ and let Harry know that in no uncertain terms).
Whatever the truth of what went down between William and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex seemed unrepentant, with a source, talking to US TV network CNN a few days after the broadcast, criticising the Royal establishment and claiming that the couple ‘ have single-handedly modernised the monarchy’.
And this in the face of a barrage of criticism from commentators who did not miss the irony of the massively privileged couple complaining about their lot in life in Africa, after visiting communities beset by violence and poverty...
Whatever the problem between the brothers is, let’s hope that they can bury the hatchet before further damage is done.
Whatever the truth, the Sussexes seemed unrepentant