Prince Harry described his view of his brother’s wedding in his autobiography “Spare” – and it still causes a stir to this day.
For millions of royal fans, it is and remains THE wedding of modern times: the wedding of Prince William (41) and Princess Kate (42) on April 29, 2011. But when Prince Harry (39) published his autobiography “Spare “, the romantic fairy tale was suddenly disenchanted. In this article, BUNTE.de traces the “Reserve” view of the events.
How Prince Harry subsequently ruined his brother William’s wedding
What the world saw in London on April 29, 2011 went down in history as a royal dream wedding. Prince William, now heir to the throne of the British royal family, married his Kate. The bride looked amazing in her Alexander McQueen dress. The kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace – which is, by the way, the only public one to date – is also unforgettable. But while everything seemed perfect on the outside, things were said to be much less rosy behind the scenes. At least if Prince Harry has his way.
In his memoirs, the future king’s brother tells a whole series of juicy anecdotes about William and Kate’s vows. Started with the claim that Harry had no knowledge of an engagement. When the future bride and groom appeared beaming in front of the press on November 16, 2010 to announce their upcoming vows, it was “completely new” to Harry. Shortly before the engagement was announced, Harry said he was in Lesotho with his older brother to support the fight against AIDS. William “didn’t mention once during the entire time we spent together” that he had proposed to Kate.
When the day of days finally came and the bride and groom swore their eternal loyalty to each other in Westminster Abbey, it was Kate’s father Michael Middleton (69) who stood next to his daughter during the promise. William knew his brother Harry was to his right. But he wasn’t a “real” best man, as he explains in his biography: “I was presented to the public as a best man, but that was a shameless lie. The public expected me to be a best man, which is why the palace had no other choice than to confirm it.” The Duke of Sussex also mentions the reason for this in his memoirs: “Willy didn’t want me to give the best man’s speech. He wasn’t comfortable putting a microphone in my hand and giving me the opportunity to deviate from the script. I “I could have said something completely inappropriate.”
According to Harry, William’s “dream wedding” was a mixture of frustration, drama and jealousy
But it wasn’t just the brotherly relationship that caused problems in advance. According to Harry, William was frustrated by the strict guidelines of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II († 96). The prince wanted to wear a special uniform, “but Granny refused to let him, which depressed him. He was frustrated that he had so little say in his own wedding.”
The evening before the wedding, Harry wants to remember drinking rum with the groom. However, according to Harry, William had “a flag” on his wedding day. The younger son of King Charles III is particularly dramatic. (75) but remembers his own physical condition. Shortly before the wedding, Harry was traveling to the North Pole, where, according to his own statement, he suffered “frostbite on his cheeks, ears and penis.” He even had to consult a doctor.
According to Harry, the palace also tried very hard not to give too much attention to William and Kate despite their marriage: “Pa [Charles, Anm. d. Red.] and Camilla didn’t want Willy and Kate to get too much publicity.” In addition, the current regent probably initiated that Catherine should only be called “Kate” in the press. The reason: “There were already two royal monograms ‘C’: Charles and Camilla”. Harry is certain: his father “in truth couldn’t stand the idea of someone new entering the stage of the monarchy and hogging the limelight”.
According to the prince, who stepped down from royal duties in 2020, William and Kate’s wedding would have caused drama again in 2017 when Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle (42). William obviously tried to decide on the venue for the wedding and used every means possible to prevent the wedding ceremony from taking place in Westminster Abbey. According to Harry, his reasoning was: “It’s not possible, that’s what we have [William und Kate] Already married.” William is also said to have been “very angry” that his little brother was allowed to keep his beard at the wedding while he had to shave for his wedding ceremony. Neither Prince William, Princess Kate or other members of the Royal Family commented the scenes described from Harry’s biography so far. The Windsors, in contrast to the Duke of Sussex, adhere to the protocol that says: never explain yourself, never complain.