Vicar Says Prince Harry and Prince William Did Not Speak at Uncle's Memorial But Shares What They Said to Him

Reverend Dan Tansey told 'The Sun' it was a "really, really pleasant surprise" that both brothers attended a memorial service for their uncle Robert Fellowes

The vicar who led a memorial service honoring Lord Robert Fellowes is speaking out about Prince Harry and Prince William both attending the event for their uncle.

Reverend Dan Tansey told The Sun that it was a "really, really pleasant surprise" that both brothers attended the event at St. Mary's Church in Norfolk on Aug. 29 remembering Lord Fellowes, the brother-in-law of the princes' late mother, Princess Diana.

"We've seen Prince William in the village before. 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 vicar said. "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."

Tansey said he did not notice Prince Harry, 39, and Prince William, 42, were in attendance until the service was over.

"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," the vicar told The Sun, adding that they "both said thank you for the service, and I thanked them for coming."

Related: Will Prince Harry and Prince William Be in New York City at the Same Time Next Month?

At the "very relaxed" reception following the memorial service, Reverend Tansey said, "I don’t recollect them speaking to each other, but there were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them."

Tansey 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."

Around 300 people attended the Aug. 29 memorial service for Fellowes,The Sun reported. A private funeral was held previously, according to the outlet, but it's unclear if either Prince William or Prince Harry attended.

Lord Fellowes, who died last month at age 82 of undisclosed causes, married Princess Diana's sister Jane and was a cousin of Ronald Ferguson, the father of Prince Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson. He worked on Queen Elizabeth's staff between 1977 and 1999, rising to the rank of her private secretary.

PEOPLE previously understood that the Duke of Sussex, who lives in California with Meghan Markle and their two children, would not attend his uncle's funeral amid his ongoing security issues in his home country. However, PEOPLE confirmed that Prince Harry traveled to the U.K. for the event and sources confirmed to The Sun on Aug. 29 that both brothers attended the memorial service that day.

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex were last together at the May 2023 coronation of their father, King Charles. However, the brothers didn't appear to interact at the event — while William played a role in the ceremony as heir, Harry sat among family members in the congregation. Harry left quickly after the service ended, returning to California where his son, Prince Archie, was marking his 4th birthday on the same day.

Since Prince Harry stepped back from his role as a working royal and relocated to Meghan's home state of California, he's reunited with his brother only a few times. William and Harry teamed up at a July 2021 statue unveiling honoring Princess Diana. They also were both at the funeral events for their grandmother Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, including a joint walkabout at Windsor with their wives.

Related: Prince William Just Sported a New Look That Was Previously Discouraged — and Sparked Tension with Prince Harry

It's been widely reported that the siblings' rift began in 2016 when Prince William expressed concerns about how quickly Prince Harry's romance with Meghan was moving. Harry went on to reveal details about the complex nature of his relationship with his older brother in his memoir, Spare.

Sources recently told PEOPLE that Prince Harry's recent attempts to connect with Prince William are ignored.

The rift with Prince William is "very bad,” said a royal insider, but it’s not "irreparable."

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Prince Harry's relations with other family members are also strained. Despite a positive meeting between Harry with his father in February following King Charles announcing his cancer diagnosis, communication has since deteriorated. Those close to Harry say the British monarch no longer takes his younger son's calls or responds to his letters.

A friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE, "He gets 'unavailable right now.' His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King's health, but those calls go unanswered too."

Amid the estrangement, Prince Harry remains concerned for the safety of his family, who lost police protection in the U.K. amid his step back from royal life. The Duke of Sussex has, according to sources, repeatedly asked his father for help in the matter.

"Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father," a royal insider told PEOPLE. Another source close to the situation said, "Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs."

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