Harry & William ‘didn’t speak to each other’ at reception, says vicar as he reveals what brothers told him after funeral
THE vicar who held a funeral reception attended by Prince William and Prince Harry says he doesn’t recall the brothers talking to each other.
St Mary’s Church Reverend Dan Tansey also revealed what they both told him at the ceremony yesterday.
The royal siblings were attending the service to mark the passing of Lord Robert Fellowes, who was their mother Diana’s brother-in-law.
It was held beneath the 175ft spire at the 650-year-old St Mary’s Church, where King Charles has previously visited while staying at Sandringham.
Reverend Tansey told The Sun: “I had been preparing for half an hour before the service so didn’t see anyone coming through the door.
“When I’m giving a service I wear glasses, so I can see my papers but can’t really make out faces beyond the first row.
“It was a lovely service and there were a lot of people who wanted to be there for someone who was really well-respected in the village.
“It was only as I was greeting the congregation on the way out that Prince William was shaking my hand, and then very quickly after Prince Harry did too.
“It was a surprise but a really really pleasant surprise that they had both come.
“We’ve seen Prince William in the village before.
“If he was going to be there I didn’t expect to be told as I’d have to keep it quiet for weeks beforehand.
“It wasn’t a tremendous shock William was there, as that was always a possibility but I suppose it was more of a surprise that Harry had come.”
He went on to say: “On the way out, they both said thank you for the service and I thanked them for coming.
“At the reception afterwards there was a very relaxed and cordial atmosphere.
“I don’t recollect them speaking to each other but there were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them.
“It would have meant a lot to Lord Robert to have them both at the service because I know both he and his auntie love them both very much.”
Reverend Tansey said the gathering was not a funeral but rather a memorial service.
A small, private funeral is understood to have previously been held though it is unknown if either William or Harry were present at the earlier event.
Around 300 people from the village and beyond are thought to have attended Thursday’s service to show their support.
A groundsman at the Snettisham Cricket Club – where Lord Fellowes would watch matches each Saturday – told The Sun the service had not been heavily publicised around the village and he only found out by reading about it in the news the next day.
Mike, who declined to give a surname, added: “He’d come down here each weekend to watch, always by himself.
“I know (the memorial service) was for villagers but we didn’t even know about it.”