Prince William and Princess Anne were seen having a ‘tense’ conversation before the start of the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, with a lipreader exposing what was said

Royal family attend annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey

Prince William made a telling remark to Princess Anne amid a ‘tense’ conversation with his aunt at a major royal event, according to a lip reader. A host of working royals turned out for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey yesterday to join the King and Queen to celebrate the family of nations.

Article continues below

Before the service, the likes of the Prince and Princess of Wales were seen chatting with other attendees, which included Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. And lip-reading specialist and analyst at LipReader, Nicola Hickling, decoded an exchange between William and the King’s aunt – and revealed what she believes was said.

‌

The lip-reader suggested to the Daily Mail that William told Anne: “I’ve had enough of hearing his name, to be honest.” Throughout the discussion, William is also said to have remarked: “It’s up for debate.”

The specialist was unable to establish precisely whom the prince was referencing with his remarks. But the huge royal outing came amid the continuing scandal surrounding the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The former prince was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Meanwhile, the lip reader also claims as the King greeted his sister, he said: “It’s not good out there… it’s rather tense, isn’t it? It’s not good.” She says this could have been down to the fact that noisy anti-monarchy demonstrators protested outside of the Abbey.

‌

Anti-monarchy activists, Republic, organised a demonstration near the Abbey with banners displaying “What did you know?”, alluding to the former Duke of York’s connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reports the Express.

The Commonwealth Service, which has been held since 1972, celebrates the diverse people and cultures of the Commonwealth nations. The annual church service is the highlight of a week-long series of events and activities happening around the Commonwealth, including faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag-raising ceremonies and cultural events.

‌

The Commonwealth is an association of 54 member states with a combined population of 2.4 billion citizens, almost a third of the world’s people. This year’s theme, “Unlocking opportunities together for a prosperous Commonwealth”, highlights how the member countries of the Commonwealth can rally together to face today’s challenges and unlock opportunities that can deliver shared and lasting prosperity.

As head of the Commonwealth, Charles, in his message, also said the institution has “untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners”.

He added: “In a world that can feel increasingly fragmented, this voluntary union of free association remains rare and precious – a forum for open and honest discussion and debate to help improve the lives of the nearly three billion people who call our member states home.”

‌

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner, an ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society, which stages the event, gave an address and later gave the King two kisses as she greeted him after the service.

Article continues below

A large anti-monarchy protest took place opposite the abbey, with demonstrators holding “Not My King” and “Abolish The Monarchy” banners.

It comes amid calls to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, a suggestion that has received backing from leaders of several Commonwealth nations, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, all of which would need to agree if an Act of Parliament were to go ahead.