A reverend is revealing what estranged brothers Prince Harry and Prince William said during their surprise joint appearance at their uncle's funeral.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the brothers "discreetly" attended Lord Robert Fellowes' funeral service at St. Mary's Church in Snettisham, Norfolk. Previous reports claimed the Duke of Sussex would not attend the funeral in-person, due to ongoing security concerns.
"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," Reverend Dan Tansey, who was in attendance, told The Sun in an interview.
"We've seen Prince William in the village before," the faith leader explained. "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."
The reverend said he met with both brothers, and told the publication what both encounters with the senior royal family members were like.
"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," Reverend Tansey explained, adding that both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex said "thank you for the service, and I thanked them for coming."
Lord Fellowes, the late Princess Diana's brother-in-law and the embattled brothers' uncle, died on July 29 at 82 years of age from an undisclosed cause, The Times previously reported in a published obituary.
Fellowes also served as an assistant private secretary, deputy private secretary, and private secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth.
Reverend went on to say that he did not "recollect" the two brothers "speaking to each other" during the "very relaxed" reception that reportedly followed the memorial service.
"There were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them," he added. "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."
Other sources who were in attendance spoke to The Sun about the brothers' attendance, including one insider who said "both princes were there" and sat in the back of the church.
Another source told the publication that the pair both "arrived very discreetly" and that no one "saw them speak to each other."
"They were keeping their distance," the individual said.
According to The Sun, the surprise joint appearance marks the first time the brothers have appeared in the same room since their father, King Charles', coronation more than a year ago.
