Prince Harry has acknowledged he was not his brother’s best man, despite appearing to do so at the altar and even admitting he gave a speech at Prince William’s wedding in 2011.
The Duke of Sussex challenged this assertion in his memoir, Spare, even calling the long-held belief that the Prince of Wales would naturally choose his brother a “bare-faced lie” that they supported to fool the paparazzi.
“I was supposed to be the best man, but that was a blatant lie that the public had been told. The Palace was forced to confirm that I was best man because the public expected me to be, “Harry started.
In fact, Prince William selected James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, two close friends who Harry described as “two civilians, two innocents” who were “shy” and “quiet,” as his “best men.”
The future King didn’t want to push them into the spotlight because of the intense media attention surrounding the royal wedding. They couldn’t handle such an onslaught, and shouldn’t be expected to, Harry continued. “Had they been outed as Willy’s best men, the rabid press would’ve chased them, tracked them, hacked them, investigated them, ruin their families’ lives.”
Additionally, the Duke said that William was worried about the best man’s speech, which was another factor. Best men customarily tell funny stories to make the groom look foolish and to amuse the guests. He did not want Harry to “say something wildly inappropriate” with celebrities like Elton John, as well as William’s royal relatives and Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, present.
“Willy really didn’t want me to give a best-man speech. He didn’t believe it was safe to give me a live mic and allow me to deviate from the plan. I might make a completely inappropriate comment. He wasn’t mistaken, “said he. We even laughed about it while making assumptions about the offensive things I might have said during my speech.
Harry acknowledged in another chapter of the book that he did deliver an impromptu speech at William and Kate’s wedding reception at Buckingham Palace.
Harry shared excerpts from letters of support from the public along with amusing stories from his childhood with William. He also used the occasion to give the Princess of Wales a cheeky gift. Harry pulled out for Kate a leathery ermine thong that a man from the United States had made from two stoats.