Who Will Be Prince William's Best Man?

Prince Harry broke royal protocol when he asked his older brother, Prince William, to be his best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle. In a statement, Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William would be Harry's best man. However, in his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry revealed that he was not, in fact, William's best man at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. Harry claimed that the notion of him being William's best man was a `bare-faced lie` to deceive the paparazzi and that William had chosen two of his close friends instead. This was to protect them from media interest and because William was worried about the content of the best man's speech.

Prince Harry was Prince William's best man in 2011

Prince Harry was indeed his brother Prince William's best man in 2011. However, in his 2023 memoir, "Spare", Harry claimed that he was not really the best man and that it was all a "bare-faced lie" staged for the media. He wrote that he was forced to act as a compere to introduce William's friends, James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, who gave the traditional speech at the reception. Harry also claimed that William was "tipsy on last night's rum" just hours before the wedding.

Prince William broke with tradition when he asked Harry to be his best man. Royals typically have a "supporter" instead of a best man. William opted for the term "best man" as it "had more relevance to his life than the alternative". Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince Harry would be Prince William's best man in a statement, saying that William was "honoured to have been asked".

Prince William chose two best men for his wedding

This decision was made to protect Harry from the intense media interest surrounding the royal wedding. William did not want to force his brother into the public eye, knowing that the press would "chase them, track them, hack them, investigate them, [and] ruin their families' lives." Additionally, William was concerned about the tradition of including cheeky anecdotes in the best man's speech, and he did not want Harry to "say something wildly inappropriate" in front of the guests, which included celebrities, William's royal relatives, and Kate's parents.

Instead, Harry pretended to be the best man and even drove with their father, Prince Charles, and William to Westminster Abbey on the wedding day. However, it was Meade and Van Straubenzee who gave the traditional speech at the reception.

Prince William also broke royal protocol by choosing to have a best man at all. Typically, those who are with the groom on the day are called "supporters." However, William opted for the term "best man" as it "had more relevance to his life."

Prince William's best men were James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee

Prince William has known Thomas Van Straubenzee since childhood, when they attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire together. Van Straubenzee is the global head of the private office of estate agent Knight Frank, and he accompanied the Prince to New Zealand on his gap year. He is also godfather to Princess Charlotte, the daughter of William and Kate.

James Meade, who went to Eton with Prince William, was the other best man, according to Harry's memoir. He is the son of Olympic gold medallist equestrian Richard Meade. He is also close with the Princess of Wales, whom he accompanied to the Badminton Horse Trials after her brief split from William in 2007. Known to his friends as "Meadey", he once took part in a charity boxing match under the nickname "the Badger". He and his wife, Lady Laura Marsham, are both godparents to Princess Charlotte.

Prince Harry was not the best man, but a 'supporter'

Prince Harry was not the best man at his brother Prince William's wedding, but a supporter. In a break from tradition, Prince William asked his brother to be his best man at his wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011. This was also a break from tradition, as royals don't typically have a "best man," but rather a "supporter."

However, it was later revealed that Prince Harry was not, in fact, the best man at his brother's wedding. In his memoir, "Spare," the Duke of Sussex refuted this claim, calling it a "bare-faced lie" that they went along with to deceive the paparazzi. Prince William chose his close friends, James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, to be his best men. Prince Harry was still a part of the wedding party and fulfilled the role and duties of a supporter.

Prince William was Prince Harry's best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle

Prince Harry broke with royal tradition when he asked his older brother, Prince William, to be his best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle. Typically, grooms in royal weddings have "supporters" instead of a best man. However, Harry wasn't the first royal to change this protocol, as William also asked Harry to be his best man at his wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011.

A Kensington Palace statement at the time read:

> "Prince Harry has asked his brother The Duke of Cambridge to be his best man at his wedding to Ms. Meghan Markle. Prince Harry served as best man to The Duke of Cambridge at his wedding to Miss Catherine Middleton in 2011. The Duke of Cambridge is honoured to have been asked, and is very much looking forward to supporting his brother at St George's Chapel, Windsor on May 19th."

William had previously joked about the possibility of being Harry's best man, saying: "He hasn’t asked me yet, just to clear that up. It could be a sensitive issue."

However, in his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry claimed that he was not actually William's best man at his wedding, despite travelling with his father and the groom to Westminster Abbey in a Bentley. According to Harry, William's closest friends, James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, gave the traditional speech at the reception.

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