Britain's Prince Harry and Prince William, the estranged brothers, marked the first anniversary of their grandmother’s death hundreds of miles apart.
While Harry paid his respects to Queen Elizabeth II privately in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Friday morning, William travelled to the far reaches of west Wales to remember the late British monarch.
The prince and his wife, Kate Middleton, carried out a public engagement in the cathedral in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, on Friday afternoon where they attended a private service and were greeted by crowds of well-wishers – a year on from the day the UK's longest-reigning monarch died peacefully aged 96.
Harry, who moved to the US and quit royal duties in 2020, was meanwhile spotted quietly leaving the Berkshire chapel, which is home to the late Queen’s final resting place, by a member of the public, who posted the image on social media.
Harry is not expected to meet either his brother or his father, King Charles, on his whirlwind trip to the UK for the WellChild annual awards held on Thursday, on the eve of anniversary, ahead of the Invictus Games in Germany.
He paid his own public tribute to his grandmother in his speech at the charity’s ceremony, saying: “She is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together, continuing to spotlight such an incredible community”.
William and Kate posted a personal message to the late Queen on social media, writing “We all miss you” and signing their words “W&C”.
Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C pic.twitter.com/SkmGtmpNEE
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 8, 2023
Relations between William and Harry have long been strained despite their closeness in their younger years.
The fallout is said to have begun before Harry’s wedding to former Suits star, the Duchess of Sussex, with the duke accusing William of being snobbish to his bride.
But it worsened after the accusations Harry publicly levelled at his brother in double tell-alls: his memoir, Spare, and his Netflix documentary.
In his autobiography, released just months after Elizabeth II died, Harry accused William of physically attacking him and pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan.
He also alleged it was William and Kate who encouraged him to wear a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005 and “howled” with laughter when they saw it.
Harry and Meghan, in their Netflix series two months after the Queen’s death, claimed Kensington Palace lied to protect William when it issued a statement denying a story he had bullied Harry out of the royal family.
Harry also wrote of how Charles pleaded with his two sons during a tense meeting at Windsor just after the funeral of Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, saying: “Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery”.
