Prince William and Harry are reported to have both attended the funeral for their uncle, Robert Fellowes, amid an ongoing rift between the two.
Locals in Snettisham, Nortfolk say the pair were both in attendance at a service for Lord Fellowes, who died last month, on Wednesday.
Earlier reports had suggested the Duke of Sussex would not fly to the UK for his uncle’s funeral because of security concerns after losing a legal fight to retain his royal protection after leaving the UK.
Despite this, new reports suggest Harry did in fact make a discreet dash to Britain to attend the service for the 82-year-old who was their mother Diana’s brother-in-law.
The Duke is believed to have flown from Los Angeles International Airport on August 27.
Prince William and Harry are reported to have both attended the funeral for their uncle, Robert Fellowes (file photo)
Locals in Snettisham, Nortfolk say the pair were both in attendance at a service for Lord Fellowes, who died last month, on Wednesday
Pictured: Lord Fellowes who died last month at the age of 82
However, witnesses say they didn’t see the warring brothers speak.
A local in the area told The Sun: ‘We never saw them speak to each other and they kept their distance.’
Another said: ‘William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance.’
They reportedly sat apart at the back of St Mary’s Church in Snettisham where the service for Lord Fellowes took place.
Sources spoke of how the pair arrived ‘very discreetly’ and that you wouldn’t have known they were there.
The two brothers have barely spoken to each other since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK for the US and abandoned royal duties.
The rift was exacerbated by the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare in January last year that levelled accusations against his family.
Harry claimed that William branded Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’, and even accused him of pushing him into a dog bowl.
Prince Harry attends The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8
Robert Fellowes and Lady Jane Fellowes pictured in Woodbridge together in April 2011
Prince Harry pictured with aunt Lady Jane Fellowes and uncle Early Spencer back in July 2021
Lord Fellowes was married to Harry’s aunt Lady Jane and also worked as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth for 13 years.
News of his death on July 29 had sparked speculation that Harry could be forced to face his estranged brother, for the first time since the publication of the memoir.
But People magazine, a US publication with particularly close links to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reported that he would not be attending amid his ongoing battle with the Home Office over the decision to withdraw his family’s round-the-clock security.
Prince Harry lost a High Court battle in February but he was granted permission to appeal in June.
He has previously said that he no longer feels safe bringing his family to the UK due to the security issues.
Details of Lord Fellowes’s funeral were not made public prior to the event and it is understood to have been a ‘very small’ and private funeral service for close family.
This will be followed by a private memorial service for ‘wider’ family and friends.
Representatives for the Duke of Sussex have been contacted for comment and Kensington Palace declined to give a statement.
This is a breaking story, more to follow.