Though it was not part of the original plan, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn’t make the final trip to Balmoral.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did, however, join Prince William and other royals in Windsor.
The royal family is in mourning. A certain segment of the family’s fans is working overtime to portray Meghan as an antagonist.
But outside of those specific circles, Meghan remains well liked. She and Harry received cheers in person — and praise online. William … not so much.
Obviously, all of this begins with a family dealing with grief in the midst of a public spectacle.
Whatever well-deserved criticisms of the monarchy, and whatever horrors Elizabeth II represented to much of the world, she was also a grandmother.
To Harry and William, she was their beloved grandmother. Of course they, and their wives, are in mourning.
But this Sky News clip went viral on social media, and it had little to do with Elizabeth II.
In the video, we see the brothers — both sons of the new king — standing with their wives, Meghan and Kate.
Then, it’s time to enter the vehicle and depart. That is when things take a turn.
Prince Harry ushers Meghan into the car.
He opens the door for her. He closes it for her. One would say that he behaves in a princely and chivilrous manner.
This is the sort of behavior that one might expect from a famously kindhearted aristocrat.
That is not the case with William and Kate.
Instead, the Prince of Wales enters the vehicle separately from his wife.
It’s not that he’s cruel to her by any means.
But the contrast is stunning, especially given the image that many hold of these royal scions.
Social media users were quick to comment, highlighting the wildly different vibes.
“Harry holds the car door open for his wife. Makes sure she’s safe,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Wills does not. Case closed,” they wrote. Doors closed, too.
“Harry is a gentleman,” another tweet appraised. “William acts like his father.”
King Charles III is not particularly popular, and a keystone of that unpopularity was his treatment of Princess Diana.
Meanwhile, another tweet reads: “Harry is a true king and son of Diana. Look how he cares for his wife.”
The king bit may be a bit of a stretch, but it goes to show (in part) why William falls short of what many had hoped for him.
For Americans, Brits, and many others, the idea of marrying a prince entails rigid good manners, even to a fault.
That is the expectation — at least, if Hallmark and Netflix romances are any indication.
But at the end of the day, the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales are both people.
They’re both royals, they’re brothers, but they have their own personalities.
They also have their own marriages … marriages involving starkly different dynamics.
And this brings us to another salient point that has little to do with royal upbringings.
Harry’s marriage is nothing like William’s.
Alleged cheater Prince William received a new nickname earlier this year: the Prince of Pegging.
No one is shaming him for his sexual proclivities.
Allegedly, even Kate is fine with her husband getting his guts rearranged now and then. So long as he doesn’t catch feelings this time.
Previously, William allegedly caught feelings during an affair with a certain Marchioness.
The royal family bent over backwards to deflect from the accusations.
Of course, that made the inaction following racist attacks on Meghan all the more damning.
The thing is, Prince Harry chose Meghan and she chose him. They love each other as supporting partners.
We don’t claim to know William’s heart, but he and Kate do not show their affection in their actions in the same way.
A lot of people like seeing Harry and Meghan’s authentic love on display. To others, of course, these acts of kindness only deepen their resentment.