Duchess Kate was a 'peacemaker' for William and Harry at Philip's funeral
Kate knows best! Prince William and Prince Harry watched Duchess Kate to help organize their reunion at Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday April 17.
"They were very tense when they entered this chapel," Nicholl said of the couple entering their grandfather's funeral on Saturday. “As they came out of it, you could see a certain tension spreading.
The expert noted that the siblings' change in attitude after walking behind the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin from the start to finish of the services where William, 38, and Harry, 36, were seen chatting was "Largely" due to Kate's interference.
"The Duchess of Cambridge insisted on talking to Harry," Nicoll added. “And when she's done that, you can see them visibly relaxing.
The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex made headlines on Saturday when they were pictured walking together leaving Philip's funeral. Philip died on April 9 at the age of 99, and is survived by his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The brothers, who have had a strained relationship in recent years, were also seen walking from St George's Chapel with Kate after the service.
“I really appreciate the fact that Catherine moved and allowed the brothers to walk between them because they know the world is watching them,” body language specialist Elaine Swann told exclusively Us Weekly on Monday of the trio's interaction . “If she was between the two brothers it would have been, you know, now we would be [her over the men]. So it was good for us to see them walk together.
The founder of the Swann School of Protocol called the post-funeral walk a "natural" act between William's siblings and wife in which they all seemed "at ease" after a strained relationship. The brothers' dynamic worsened after Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's explosive interview last month.
“If you look inside, you see William, he kind of backed up a bit and waited for his brother, and then he kept walking. I don't think it was contrived, ”Swann explained, noting that the couple's body language indicated they“ wanted to be reconciled ”despite their drama.
The etiquette expert pointed to William's conscious choice to "open his body language to his brother" after the memorial as a "very encouraging" sign that the duo are working towards a better future.
Swann noted that William turning to his younger brother as he stood outside the chapel on Saturday - which housed 30 close family members after Philip's death - was huge.
“In this opening, it is to say, 'Come in. Let's talk about it, ”she told Us, adding that Harry also looked more relaxed as he walked with his brother. "I think Harry was doing his best to say, 'Hey, you know, bro, we are, we are still here. I'm still here. I still love you.'"
The brothers' reunion came more than a year after Harry and Meghan, 39, moved to California with their 23-month-old son Archie after announcing their retirement as royals early of 2020. Buckingham Palace confirmed in February that the pair will not be returning as royals.
The following month, the couple claimed racism against Meghan and the lack of support from The Firm played a role in their exit. A source told Us in March, as the 94-year-old Queen "insisted that the royals deal with the matter in private," William "struggled to refrain" from speaking on her side.
Upon returning to the UK on April 12, a source told Us, "The rest of the family just hope the brothers can bite the bullet and get through this without stress or animosity." The insider added that the royal family had "hopes" that the siblings could "bond in person and put the past behind them" while mourning the loss of their grandfather.
