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A resurfaced video of Prince Harry discussing his last royal engagement has reignited discussions about his strained relationship with his brother, Prince William. The video, which has garnered over 270,000 views and nearly 7,000 likes on TikTok, highlights the “coldness” Harry felt during the 2020 Commonwealth Day service, his final official royal appearance alongside Meghan Markle before stepping back from royal duties.
@harry.nd.meghan Prince Harry and Meghan talk about the coldness they recieved from the family on their last engagement at Commonwealth Day 2020. ⭐️💕🩵 #meghanmarkle #princeharry #harryandmeghan #princeharryedit #harryandmeghanedit #princeharryspare #meghanandharry ♬ original sound – Harry and Meghan
In the video, Harry candidly reflected on the tension of the moment. “I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like rather than what it feels like. And it looked cold. But it also felt cold,” he shared. The Duke of Sussex’s comments painted a picture of the emotional divide that had developed, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.
As the video continues, Harry discusses the anxiety he felt about the reunion, made even more challenging by the intense media scrutiny. “We were nervous seeing the family,” he confessed, acknowledging the pressure of being constantly watched by both the public and the media. He likened the experience to living in a soap opera, where his life was seen as entertainment for others. Meghan Markle, who accompanied him to the event, also reflected on the tense atmosphere, noting that the first public reunion with the family took place at Westminster Abbey.
Royal expert Robert Lacey, in his 2020 book Battle of Brothers, shed further light on the event. Lacey observed that while Meghan maintained a poised demeanor with her “best TV smile,” Harry’s body language told a different story. “As the ceremony progressed, Harry appeared to grow gloomier,” Lacey wrote, with one observer noting that Harry’s “accelerated blinking” seemed to suggest he was fighting back tears.
The relationship between the brothers has only worsened since that day. A recent column in The Daily Mail pointed to the stark contrast in their current paths: while Prince William has focused on social causes, such as his ITV documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, Harry has pursued more personal projects, including his memoir Spare and a Netflix series about polo. Columnist Jan Moir noted the brothers’ differences, saying, “William battles for the underdogs, while Harry battles for himself.”
Harry has also opened up about the lack of support from the royal family, especially in his book Spare. Reflecting on his experiences, he questioned, “Was it all fake? Was it all just a show?” and challenged the notion of the royal family as a true support system. “If we couldn’t stand up for one another, rally around our newest member, our first biracial member, then what were we really?” he wrote, questioning the authenticity of the family dynamic and the monarchy’s true nature.
