This Is How Royal Aides Are Describing William And Harry's Relationship Today

Nearly a quarter-century ago, when last we gathered in front of our TV sets to watch all the sad pageantry of a major royal funeral, perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of a multi-Kleenex box event involved watching two young princes walking side-by-side behind their mother's casket. Fast-forward to the present, and now the grandfather who walked stoically at their side is himself being laid to rest ... and while the two princes, reunited after over a year's separation, will once more walk in his funeral procession, this time they won't be at each other's side.

As the Daily Mail reveals, the plans for Prince Philip's funeral procession involve positioning Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne and older cousin of William and Harry, between the two brothers. While these arrangements were made by palace staffers with the queen's input and were not something the princes themselves requested, they nevertheless speak to a certain tension that remains between the brothers after the events that followed upon Harry's abrupt "Megxit" from the family.

While it's likely that the recently-released-from-quarantine Harry will not have seen his brother prior to the funeral, palace insiders still told the Daily Mail that it's assumed that their feuding will continue, and the Lord Chamberlain's Office, who are the ones making all the funeral arrangements, are devoting "much thought and energy" to avoiding anything that might be seen to be favoring one prince over another. They admit that everyone's now "doubly nervous" about being seen to be taking sides in this second battle of British royals v. rude colonials, and describe the atmosphere as "a minefield."

As one person commenting on the Daily Mail article interpreted things, palace aides are likely to be wary since "no one can trust that Harry won't go running to Oprah afterwards." This may well be the case, as he does have the ear of the American (and thus the worldwide) media. However, both Harry and William have expressed a desire simply to mourn and honor their grandfather (as well, it is to be hoped, as to support their bereaved gran). Who knows, perhaps walking behind a casket once more will bring to mind their earlier tragic loss and serve as a wake-up call that they need to repair their own relationship before it's too late.