William and Harry's 'Tense Conversation' Decoded as Lip Reader Calls Future King a 'Bully'

Prince William and Prince Harry are once again at the centre of speculation over their fractured relationship after a lip reader claimed to have decoded a tense exchange between the brothers following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The conversation took place on 10 September 2022, when William, Harry, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle appeared together during a walkabout outside Windsor Castle. According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, the brothers appeared to argue shortly before meeting members of the public. The interpretation has resurfaced amid renewed interest in the royal family's private tensions, although lip-reading interpretations cannot establish with certainty what was actually said.

William and Harry Appear to Clash Before Walkabout

The footage shows the brothers walking together as they prepared to greet mourners who had gathered outside Windsor Castle following the Queen's death.

According to Hickling's interpretation, William appeared to question why he and Harry were together, saying: 'Why are we together? This is not the end.' Harry was then reportedly heard saying: 'Not now please. I didn't foresee this.'

The exchange was interpreted as evidence that the brothers were struggling to put their personal differences aside while carrying out their public duties during a period of national mourning.

Kate, Meghan Reportedly Tried To Stop The Argument

The lip-reading interpretation suggests that the conversation did not go unnoticed by their wives.

Meghan was reportedly heard saying 'Not today' as the disagreement continued, while Kate was interpreted as telling the brothers to 'stop arguing.'

The apparent intervention added another layer to the footage, with both couples seemingly attempting to prevent the disagreement from becoming more visible as they prepared to meet members of the public.

However, the exact words remain a matter of interpretation rather than a confirmed transcript.

Was William Really Being a 'Bully'?

The renewed discussion has also brought back claims that William behaved like a 'bully' towards Harry.

That description is an interpretation of the brothers' wider relationship rather than something established by the footage itself. Harry has previously described serious disagreements with the future monarch, including allegations of bullying and a physical confrontation in his memoir Spare, while accounts from William's side have disputed some of Harry's claims.

The latest lip-reading analysis therefore provides another possible glimpse into their strained relationship, but it does not independently establish who was responsible for the disagreement or what caused it.

The Brothers Were Mourning Their Grandmother

The setting is also important. The exchange occurred just two days after Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral on 8 September 2022.

William and Harry were appearing together publicly despite the well-documented deterioration in their relationship. Their joint appearance with Kate and Meghan attracted enormous attention at the time because it marked one of the rare occasions when the four were seen together after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals.

The brothers had also been reunited for the Queen's funeral and surrounding ceremonies, meaning their interactions were being watched particularly closely.

Lip Reading Has Become a Growing Royal Obsession

The latest claims come as lip-reading videos involving members of the royal family have become increasingly popular online.

A 2026 documentary, Lip-Reading the Royals: What Are They Really Saying?, has examined several royal interactions using forensic lip readers, including moments involving William, Harry and other members of the family. Experts and royal advisers have nevertheless warned that lip-reading can be inaccurate, particularly when footage is distant, partially obscured or filmed from an awkward angle.

That caveat is particularly important when the alleged words are being used to draw conclusions about private relationships.

Still, the footage has renewed fascination with the William-Harry rift. Whether the brothers were genuinely arguing in the moments before the Windsor walkabout or simply discussing arrangements remains impossible to establish from lip-reading alone. What is clear is that even years after the Queen's death, every visible interaction between the two continues to attract intense scrutiny.