Featured Image Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Topics: News, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Royal Family, UK News, Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: News, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Royal Family, UK News, Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, Social Media
With plenty of rumours circulating about how Prince William plans to address the controversy around Prince Andrew when he becomes king, a resurfaced clip speaks volumes about the frosty relationship between the two royals.
Last month (16 September), the Royal Family gathered at Westminster Cathedral to mourn the death of the Duchess of Kent, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, who died peacefully at the age of 92 some weeks prior (5 September).
Among those in attendance at her funeral was Prince Andrew, who stepped down as a working royal in 2019 following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and he was standing next to Prince William for part of the event.
An 'awkward' moment between the uncle and nephew duo from the funeral has now resurfaced following the latest news surrounding the disgraced 65-year-old prince.
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Andrew was recently made to surrender his final few honours on Friday (17 October), allegedly following pressure placed upon him from his elder brother King Charles III in light of new revelations regarding his relationship with the dead sex offender, alongside the publication of his accuser Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir.
Prince Andrew 'vigorously denies' all allegations.
One short clip shared to social media at the time appeared to show the former Duke of York saying something to William before laughing.
However, people online think William looked very unimpressed, and it seems like he doesn't laugh in response or actually say anything back at all, just giving a brief nod.
Reacting to the moment, one X user described it as 'so awkward', further claiming that it looked like 'Prince William doesn’t want to be anywhere near him'.
A second penned: "William understands the importance of optics. He might have answered while he was rubbing his nose, but William made sure he wasn't speaking with Andrew while the camera was anywhere near him. Wise William!"
"Prince William: I know you didn't just start some small talk, because the camera is on us? They won't catch my mouth moving," wrote a third person.
Meanwhile, a fourth chimed in with: "As family bid farewell after yesterday’s royal catholic funeral for the Duchess of Kent, Prince Andrew appears to want to strike up a conversation with his nephew & says something he finds funny. William has no desire to respond. In fact, he doesn’t say a single word… "
However, others have also pointed out that perhaps William simply didn't want to be seen laughing, as he was, after all, attending a funeral.
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that William's 'non-verbal responses' pointed towards a supposed degree of 'awkwardness' between the pair.
She said: "'The Duke of York tries to engage his nephew in a good-humoured chat, and all William's non-verbal responses suggest awkwardness and a subliminal desire to reject the overtures, making this look like a very frosty transaction.
"William is at some pains to appear polite despite potentially feeling compromised here, but he is clearly made uncomfortable and is perhaps relieved when he can return to the more solemn facial expression of mourning."
Lip reader Jacqui Press also shared her thoughts on what she believed the pair may have been saying to each other.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Press said that the exchange appeared to include some basic pleasantries.
Among them were the achingly British 'aren't we lucky with the weather today', as well as the standard post-church comment: "It was a beautiful service."
Andrew could also be seen to exchange a few words with his sister, Princess Anne, before thanking the staff and going off in the direction of his car.
The lip reader claimed that the Princess Royal told her brother, 'let's walk this way', before Andrew turned to her later and said: "Shall [we] go that way and we can leave there?"
He may later have questioned: "Where is she? Oh, over there, is she coming?"
This comes after the Sunday Times reported William will ban Prince Andrew from his coronation when he becomes king, and he also won't be allowed to attend any public or private events.
Tyla has contacted Buckingham Palace for a comment.