As several senior royals recently came together for a rare public appearance, the largest gathering since the controversy surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest last month, Prince William reportedly appeared visibly on edge.
Professional lip readers claimed to have decoded the future king’s "tense" words to family members while attending the 2026 Commonwealth Day Service, held on Monday, March 9.
Highlights
- Prince William reportedly appeared visibly “tense” during the Commonwealth Day Service as lip readers claimed to decode a private exchange with his aunt, Princess Anne.
- The royal gathering at Westminster Abbey was met with loud protests from anti-monarchy supporters, who chanted slogans like “Down with the Crown” outside the venue.
- The event marked the monarchy’s largest public appearance since the controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s arrest over his ties to convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The royal gathering took place amid significant protests organized by anti-monarchy supporters, who questioned the Royal Family’s knowledge of the former prince’s links to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein.
“It must be hard to have a relative like that for sure. William has not been a fan for a longer time than just recently,” one netizen wrote.
Allegedly, Prince William had a “tense” exchange with his aunt, Princess Anne, while attending the Commonwealth Day Service
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The annual event, held at Westminster Abbey, usually takes place on the second Monday of March each year.
The 2026 service was historically significant as it marked the largest gathering of senior royals since the arrest scandal rocked the monarchy and was intended to project a sense of stability for the royal household and viewers.
The service hosted a 1,800-strong congregation, and senior royals in attendance included King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine ‘Kate’ Middleton, Princess Anne with her husband Timothy Laurence, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and Duchess of Gloucester.
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Notably, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, made a rare appearance, breaking tradition as non-Commonwealth royals do not typically attend the service.
While making their way inside the Abbey, the Prince and Princess of Wales were reportedly heckled by members of the anti-monarchy group Republic.
As the royals entered, protesters shouted slogans such as “What did you know?”, referencing Prince William’s uncle’s recent arrest.
“Andrew did more damage to the Crown than a thousand years of battle,” one netizen reacted as lip readers revealed details of the conversation
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The crowd also greeted the family with loud boos and chants of “Not My King” and “Down with the Crown.”
Despite Prince William and Kate’s efforts to appear unbothered by the vocal hostility, lip readers later suggested otherwise, claiming the prince had a seemingly “tense” conversation with Princess Anne.
Analyzing certain videos of the royals’ exchanges and their body language at the event, lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Mirror that Prince William told his aunt Princess Anne, “I agree, of course. That’s another conversation.”
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Meanwhile, according to Daily Mail, analyst Nicola Hickling suggested William also told Anne during the exchange, “I’ve had enough of hearing his name, to be honest.”
While both lip-reading experts failed to identify the exact subject of their discussion, several media outlets and social media users speculated that the conversation may have referenced the ongoing scandal surrounding Prince Andrew.
Hickling also alleged that during a separate conversation with his sister, the King, referring to the protests outside, said, “It’s not good out there… it’s rather tense, isn’t it? It’s not good.”
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Reacting to the reports, one skeptic wrote, “Andrew did more damage to the Crown than a thousand years of battle.”
Another added, “It could have been about Andrew, or it could have been about Harry. Take your pick.”
“The public have also, in the main, had enough of hearing his name,” wrote a third netizen, while another added, “I think it's frustration at the protestors mentioning Andrew…”
Prince William appeared visibly on edge as vocal protests of “Down with the Crown” were staged outside Westminster Abbey
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“I think we all know who William was referring to. It doesn’t take a genius…..or a lip reader!”
Meanwhile, many users cast doubt on the claims made by the lip readers, with some arguing that it was “disturbing” and “problematic” to analyze someone’s private conversation.
One enraged user wrote, “I don’t know why, but this feels so invasive, surely taking videos/pictures is enough and you don’t need to [analyze] everything that is being said discreetly.”
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Another commented, “Lip reading is used by deaf people to help them communicate, but otherwise it is just a form of eavesdropping on private conversations and should not be encouraged…”
“AT IT AGAIN with the nosey parker lip readers. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. How would you like all and sundry listening in on your PRIVATE conversations? The answer is you wouldn't, SO STOP IT!”
In October last year, King Charles officially stripped Andrew of his royal titles, including Prince and Duke of York, and began the process of evicting him from Royal Lodge following new details revealed in the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent survivor who accused the late convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking and exploitation.
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In January, the U.S. Department of Justice released more than three million pages of Epstein files, which reportedly included emails and photographs allegedly linking Andrew to further misconduct.
A major blow to the royal family came on February 19, when Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew. He was held for 11 hours for questioning before being released under investigation.
The royal gathering marked the first major event for the monarchy since Andrew’s arrest, linked to his ties with Jeffrey Epstein
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He became the first senior British royal to be arrested and taken into police custody in nearly 400 years.
However, the arrest was reportedly made on suspicion of misconduct in public office rather than the s*xual a**ault allegations.
Andrew is currently being investigated over allegations that while serving as the UK Trade Envoy from 2001 to 2011, he shared confidential government reports and sensitive trade information with Epstein for potential financial gain.
Amid the controversy, the Palace has adopted a policy of distancing itself from the disgraced royal.
The King also issued a statement declaring that “the law must take its course” and offered his “wholehearted support and co-operation” to the police.
“I'm sick of these lip readers....pretty sure this family knows very well what goes on even… cover their mouths,” wrote one skeptical netizen
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