Harry's Best Man Duties: A Royal Wedding Highlight

In his memoir, *Spare*, Prince Harry reveals that he was not best man at his brother Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. In the book, Harry writes that William chose his friends James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee to be best men, but the public was told that Harry was fulfilling the role. Harry explains that the lie was told to protect the privacy of the actual best men, and because William did not want Harry to give a best man's speech.

Harry's reasons for not choosing William as his best man

In his memoir, "Spare", Prince Harry revealed that he did not choose his brother, Prince William, to be his best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle. Here are some reasons why Harry may have made this decision:

Protecting His Friends' Privacy

One of the reasons Harry chose his "old friend" Charlie as his best man was to protect the privacy of his friends. In his book, Harry mentions that the royal family announced William as the best man to deceive the paparazzi and avoid unwanted media attention on his friends. Harry describes Charlie as an "old friend", indicating a close and trusted relationship. By choosing Charlie, Harry may have wanted to shield him from the intense media scrutiny that comes with being a part of a royal wedding.

Tradition and Equality

Harry may have wanted to follow the tradition of having a best friend or close friend as his best man. Typically, the role of the best man is filled by someone with whom the groom has a long-standing and deep friendship. By choosing Charlie, Harry may have wanted to uphold this tradition. Additionally, by choosing someone other than William, Harry ensured that both he and William had an equal role in each other's weddings. William had two close friends, James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee, as his best men, so it would have been understandable for Harry to also choose a friend for this role.

Avoiding Speech-Related Concerns

Another possible reason for Harry's decision could be related to the best man's speech. Traditionally, the best man's speech includes anecdotes and jokes to entertain the guests. Given the high-profile nature of the royal wedding, with celebrities and royal family members in attendance, Harry may have wanted to avoid any potential embarrassment or controversy that could arise from his speech. By choosing Charlie, Harry may have felt that he could deliver a more controlled and appropriate speech.

Maintaining a Balanced Relationship

Harry's decision may also reflect a desire to maintain a balanced and healthy relationship with his brother. By choosing someone other than William, Harry may have wanted to avoid any potential sibling rivalry or jealousy. This decision could indicate a mature approach to their relationship, ensuring that neither brother feels overshadowed by the other.

Respecting William's Wishes

Lastly, Harry's decision may have been influenced by respecting William's wishes. In his book, Harry mentions that William had expressed concerns about him giving a best man's speech at his wedding. William was worried that Harry might say something "wildly inappropriate". By choosing Charlie, Harry respected his brother's wishes and ensured that William felt comfortable and confident about the speeches at his wedding.

William's reasons for not choosing Harry as his best man

In his memoir, *Spare*, Prince Harry reveals that he was not, in fact, his brother Prince William's best man at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. While the public had been led to believe that Harry was William's best man, the former clarified that this was a "bare-faced lie".

Protecting His Friends' Privacy

According to Harry, the real best men were William's close friends, James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee. Harry writes that they were "two civilians, two innocents" who were "shy" and "quiet". With intense media interest in the royal wedding, William wanted to protect them from public scrutiny and potential harassment. By having Harry act as the best man, William could shield his friends from unwanted attention and maintain their privacy.

Avoiding an Inappropriate Best Man's Speech

Harry acknowledges in his book that William was concerned about the traditional best man's speech. Best men often include cheeky anecdotes to embarrass the groom and entertain the guests. Given the high-profile nature of the wedding, with celebrities, royalty, and Kate's parents in attendance, William didn't want to risk Harry saying something "wildly inappropriate". Harry himself admits that William's concerns were valid and that they even joked about the potentially embarrassing things he might have said.

Maintaining a Controlled Image

William's decision to have Harry as a stand-in best man may also have been influenced by a desire to maintain a certain image and avoid potential embarrassment. By choosing his friends as the actual best men, William could ensure that their speeches would be more controlled and aligned with the formal nature of the event. This allowed him to manage the public perception of the wedding and avoid any unexpected or potentially damaging moments.

Respecting Harry's Comfort Level

While the focus is often on the groom's preferences, it's worth considering that Harry may have had his own reasons for not wanting to be the best man. He could have felt uncomfortable with the level of attention and responsibility that comes with the role. By having him act as a stand-in, William may have respected Harry's comfort level and their brotherly bond.

It's important to note that despite not being the official best man, Harry still played a significant role in William's wedding. He introduced the best men, delivered a speech at the reception, and supported his brother throughout the day. Ultimately, the decision to choose someone else as the best man may have been a mutual agreement between the brothers, taking into account their unique dynamics and relationship.

Harry's speech at William's wedding

Although Prince Harry was not Prince William's best man at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011, he did give a speech at the reception, which he mostly improvised. In his memoir, Spare, Harry writes that he introduced the best men, James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee, two of William's friends. Harry also pulled out a thong for Kate, which had been made especially for her by a US resident.

Harry's speech was heartfelt and touching. He reminisced about their childhood and shared stories about their time growing up together. He also mentioned their mother, Princess Diana, and how proud she would have been to witness William's relationship with Kate.

Harry's speech may have included some off-script moments, as he writes in his memoir that William "didn't want me giving a best man speech. He didn't think it safe to hand me a live mic and put me in a position to go off script. I might say something wildly inappropriate. He wasn't wrong." Despite this concern, Harry's speech was well-received, and he and William even had a laugh afterwards about the inappropriate things he could have said.

Harry's speech also included some light-hearted teasing of William. He recalled how William had been "tipsy on last night's rum" while greeting people on the Mall before the wedding. Harry offered him mints, saying, "You smell of alcohol."

Overall, Harry's speech at William's wedding was a mix of fond memories, brotherly teasing, and heartfelt sentiments, showcasing the strong bond between the two princes.

Harry's book, Spare

In his memoir, "Spare", Prince Harry reveals that he was not, in fact, his brother Prince William's best man at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. He writes that the royal family told the public a "bare-faced lie" and that the role was fulfilled by two of William's friends, James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee. Harry explains that the lie was told to protect the privacy of the groomsmen, who were "civilians" and would not have been able to handle the media attention that comes with being a part of a royal wedding. Harry also writes that William did not want him to give a best man's speech as he was worried Harry might say something "wildly inappropriate".

Harry also reveals in his book that he did not choose William to be his best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. He writes that he chose his "old friend" Charlie for the role, but the royal family announced that William was the best man. Harry speculates that William's absence from drinks the night before the wedding was due to him "sulking" about not being chosen as the best man.

The revelations about the best man choices add to the list of shocking disclosures about the British royal family in Harry's memoir, including the bridesmaid dress disagreement between Kate Middleton and her sister-in-law and Meghan Markle's wedding tiara debacle.

Despite the lies surrounding the best man roles, Harry writes that he and William laughed about the possibility of him saying something inappropriate in his speech. Harry also shared that he did give an improvised speech at William and Kate's wedding reception, in which he told stories about their childhood and mentioned their mother, Princess Diana.

The book also delves into the outfits chosen for William and Harry's wedding to Kate. Harry writes that William wanted to wear his Household cavalry uniform but that Queen Elizabeth II rejected the request. Harry also mentions that he felt uncomfortable in his Blues and Royals uniform, which he had to wear according to protocol.

Harry's relationship with William

Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship has been the subject of much speculation, especially in light of recent revelations in Harry's memoir, "Spare". One surprising detail that emerged was that Harry was not, in fact, his brother's best man at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. Instead, William chose his close friends James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee to be his best men. Harry writes in his book that the public assumption that he was the best man was a "bare-faced lie" perpetuated by the palace. He explains that William did not want him to give a best man's speech as he feared Harry might say something "wildly inappropriate". Additionally, by having Harry act as best man, the real best men's privacy could be protected from media scrutiny.

Harry's memoir also reveals that he did not choose William to be his own best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. Instead, he selected his "old friend" Charlie. Harry writes that William cancelled last-minute on plans to have drinks with him and his friends the night before the wedding, citing his wife and children as the reason. Harry questioned whether William's behaviour was due to him not being chosen as the best man or because Harry had chosen his friend Charlie instead.

Despite these revelations, Harry writes that he did not hold any hard feelings towards William for not choosing him as his best man. He understood his brother's concerns and they even laughed about the possibility of him saying something inappropriate in his speech. Harry also shared that he still gave a speech at William and Kate's wedding reception, in which he reminisced about their childhood and growing up together.

The relationship between Harry and William has been the subject of much media scrutiny, with speculation about a potential feud between the brothers. While Harry's memoir does reveal some surprising details, it also indicates that the brothers have had open and honest conversations about their differences. In the book, Harry mentions that he and William laughed together about the potential for an inappropriate best man speech, suggesting a level of comfort and understanding between them.

Overall, the relationship between Harry and William is complex and multifaceted. While they have had their differences and disagreements, they also share a deep bond as brothers and have supported each other through challenging times. Despite the media speculation and royal family expectations, it is clear that their relationship is unique and cannot be easily defined.

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