Prince William and Prince Harry showed 'unity' as they honored their late mother Princess Diana

The boys looked far from 'warring brothers'

Prince William and Prince Harry
(Image credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)

Prince William and Prince Harry showed "unity" during their first public appearance together in months.


All eyes were on Prince Harry and Prince William as they came together for the first time since Prince Philip's funeral to view the Princess Diana statue unveiled at Kensington Palace on the day that would have been her 60th birthday.

A rift has formed between the formerly close brothers in recent months, ever since Prince Harry chose to step back as a senior royal and aired his reasons for doing so during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey

But, according to sources, the brothers were determined to put their differences aside and not let their feud overshadow what was an important event. 

"This commemoration has been a long term project for both William and Harry and both of them are adult enough to put any feelings to one side to ensure the day goes off without a hitch," a royal insider revealed ahead of the unveiling.

“Certain things don’t need to be said, it’s an unspoken agreement to do what is right in that moment, just as they have said before, this is about their mother’s life and celebrating her legacy."

And according to psychologist and body language expert, Judi James, they managed just that.

While it's unclear whether Prince Harry and Prince William were ‘putting on a good show’ at Diana tribute, Judi said they showed "unity" in their performance. 

"Given their history and given that they knew the eyes of the world were on them at this unveiling, William and Harry put in a very good body language performance of unity and even, at some points, fun," she explained. 

"The word ‘performance’ is not a criticism as it would have been impossible to act totally naturally under this type of pressure and scrutiny but they did appear to have come to some agreement to arrive together, smiling and with an air of relaxed unity."

Judi said their behavior was reminiscent of the days before their fall-out. 

"These were two sons first and foremost, rather than two warring brothers."

"The smiles they wore as they arrived side by side might have looked a little like overkill signals but they did mirror one another as they walked down the stairs into the garden, with that matching postural echo suggesting unity on a more subliminal level."

Princess Diana statue

(Image credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)

Following on from their appearance at the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue, the brothers shared a heart-breaking post that said, "every day, we wish she were still with us."

Taking to Instagram to share a picture from the event, the caption read, "Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character—qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better."

"Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy."

"Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive."

Georgia Farquharson

Georgia writes across Woman & Home and Good to Know and specialises in all things royal. Previously labelled the "Queen of the royals," Georgia knows the whose who and what's what when it comes to the monarchy. When she's not eagerly following the royal family, Georgia enjoys shopping and self-care. She lives with this motto in mind; "if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."