While it’s still really funny that the Princess of Wales was stuck behind an enormous centerpiece at last night’s Windsor Castle state banquet, spare a thought for poor Prince William. There were almost no shots of William, Brigitte Macron or Queen Camilla during the banquet, and that’s because they were seated across the table from King Charles, President Macron and Kate. I genuinely find this rude, that the Windsors made the Macrons sit separately and so far apart. I also find it weird that Charles constantly deviates from male-female-male seating charts – he placed himself beside Pres. Macron, and he placed Camilla and Brigitte side-by-side (with William on Brigitte’s other side). Well, in any case, Charles made a reference to William during his toast. I’m sure William was grimacing behind another gigantic centerpiece, unseen by his father. Obviously, people are making Charles’s toast all about Prince Harry.
King Charles delivered a powerful tribute to his son, Prince William, during a lavish State Banquet at Windsor Castle Tuesday — but the monarch’s rare speech had no mention of his estranged son, Prince Harry. The king, 76, made a formal address to the Prince and Princess of Wales as he and Queen Camilla welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at Windsor Castle.
During the dinner, which was attended by more than 150 special guests, His Majesty stood up from his seat and read aloud a poignant speech that featured candor, laughs and a warm reference to William and Catherine’s family. Charles praised his eldest son’s decision to establish his family home at Windsor — saying the move is doubly special given the castle’s Norman origins.
“The Castle in which we meet this evening was begun by my ancestor — and your sometime countryman — William, Duke of Normandy, in the year 1070,” Charles said. “It remains the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, the Prince of Wales, who shares that earlier William’s name, has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors,” the king added.
During his touching speech, Charles also celebrated the deep friendship between Great Britain and France.
However, the speech notably didn’t mention his youngest son, Prince Harry, who quit royal life with his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020 and moved to Montecito, Calif. It may come as no surprise that Charles chose to forgo mentioning the Duke of Sussex, given that both camps have been locked in a bitter feud for years.
“So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, the Prince of Wales…has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors.” True story: William and Kate had no interest in living in Windsor until QEII gave Frogmore Cottage to the Sussex family when Meghan was pregnant. Harry wanted out of London, Harry wanted more space for himself and Meghan, and Harry’s brother was sick with jealousy that Harry got a quiet family home in Windsor. Soon after the Sussexit, William and Kate began a public campaign to force QEII and Charles to “give” them a home in Windsor as well. And all of that being said, after all of this time, I still don’t believe William lives in Adelaide Cottage. I think he either lives in Windsor Castle or he’s taken over Frogmore Cottage like a psycho. Anyway, it makes sense that Charles blanked on Harry in his speech. Charles would have to mention that he evicted Harry from their home in Windsor.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.