Prince William Made 'Service' Heart of Coronation Speech After Harry Swipes

Prince William made a pledge to serve "King, country and Commonwealth" during a speech honoring his father, King Charles, at the coronation concert on Sunday after a series of criticisms leveled at him by his younger brother Prince Harry over recent months.

William commented that for all the magnificence and "pageantry" of the coronation weekend, at its heart was "a simple message" of "service."

Service as a term linked to the monarchy and individual members of the royal family was pulled into sharp focus in 2021.

Following the one-year grace period issued to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they stepped down from their roles within the monarchy, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II had written to the coupe explaining that their decision meant that it was not possible for them to officially "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

Hours after the announcement was made, a spokesperson for the couple issued a response, saying that: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role.

"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."

William's speech at the coronation concert was a key element of the celebrations with the prince not only praising his father but also taking the opportunity to affirm his own role in the monarchy's future.

"My father's first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve," he said, going on to add: "My father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported. Pa, we are all so proud of you."

Closing his remarks, the prince thanked the "millions of people who serve in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards, and local communities.

"I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. And tonight we celebrate you too," he continued before finishing: "I commit myself to serve you all. King, country, and Commonwealth. God save the King!"

William played a prominent role in the coronation ceremony itself, paying homage to his father as well as taking part in the official procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

The celebrations mark the highest profile public appearance made by the royal since a number of criticisms were leveled against him by Prince Harry in his Netflix series which was released in December 2022 and also in his record-breaking memoir, Spare, published in January.

Harry made a series of revelations about his childhood with William, including the claim that the brothers were never as close as the public believed following the death of their mother, Princess Diana when William was 15 years old and Harry just 12.

Harry claimed that William was often jealous of the freedom afforded to him as the "spare" to the "heir" and alleged that his brother physically attacked him in a 2019 argument at Kensington Palace in an argument over Meghan Markle's treatment of royal staff.

The prince's memoir earned him equal parts sympathy and backlash. He was criticized by commentators and social media users for invading his family's privacy by revealing the contents of personal conversations and for his apparent targeting of his older brother.

Despite this, Harry made efforts to clarify in interviews promoting his memoir that he was simply telling his account of his own life story and that he still has "love" for his brother.

When asked by 60 Minutes' Anderson Cooper about the "cutting" descriptions of William in Spare, Harry said: "I don't see it as cutting at all.

"You know, my brother and I love each other. I love him deeply," he explained. "There has been a lot of pain between the two of us, especially the last six years. None of anything I've written, anything that I've included is ever intended to hurt my family. But it does give a full picture of the situation as we were growing up..."

For his part, William did not respond publicly to Harry's Netflix or memoir claims, in line with a blanket no-comment stance taken officially by Buckingham Palace.

While the revelations did see the prince's popularity take a hit in both the U.S. and U.K., recent polling undertaken in April for Newsweek by strategists Redfield & Wilton showed that William had received a popularity boost and was now more popular among Americans than he was before his brother's media releases.

William is the second most popular royal among Americans, behind his wife Kate Middleton.

In September, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the new King Charles made his eldest son the Prince of Wales. This is the second most senior royal title after those held by the King himself.

At the coronation, William performed his duties in the capacity of Prince of Wales. The service also marked the first public event he attended alongside Harry since the Netflix and memoir releases.

Harry flew into Britain to attend the service, though as he is no longer a working royal he attended as a guest and played no formal ceremonial role.

The prince was photographed leaving the U.K. at a London airport just hours after the service had ended. He is reported to have flown straight home to California where he and Meghan Markle celebrated the fourth birthday of their son, Prince Archie.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.