Prince Harry claims his brother’s ‘real’ groomsmen at his wedding to Kate in 2011 were his pals James Mead and Thomas Van Straubenzee – and that he was forced to go along with the ‘blatant lie’ in his leaked autobiography.
According to the 38-year-old Duke of Sussex, his rift with Prince William, 40, meant the elder royal “didn’t want it”. [Harry] give a best man speech”.
Instead, Harry writes, he played the part to spare Meade and Van Straubenzee, who made the traditional best man’s speech at the reception, the blushes.
The Duke claims that while he was officially his brother’s best man at the wedding, and even traveled to Westminster Abbey in a Bentley with his father and future king that day, it was all for show.
Prince William has known Mr Van Straubenzee since childhood, where he attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire. They are pictured with Kate Middleton at Ascot Racecourse in 2016
Prince Harry (right) has claimed in his leaked memoir Spare that he wasn’t Prince William’s (left) real best man as his brother didn’t want him to give a speech (pictured at William and Kate’s wedding in Westminster Abbey 2011).
Thomas Van Straubenzee has reportedly been close friends with the brothers for years. His relationship with the royals dates back to their prep days at Ludgrove.
Van Straubenzee is the worldwide head of real estate agent Knight Frank’s private office and accompanied the prince on his year abroad in New Zealand.
He is also godfather to the Welsh daughter Princess Charlotte.
The businessman and property consultant, whose parents are Captain Alexander van Straubenzee and Claire Fenwick, is said to have interests in music, wildlife and conservation.
Thomas van Straubenzee, 38, a lifelong friend of Prince William, married Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, 32, a teacher at Charlotte and Prince George’s school, Thomas’s Battersea, in 2020
Prince William and Thomas (pictured together playing polo at Coworth Park in 2014) have been friends since prep school and Thomas is Charlotte’s godfather
Mr van Straubenzee, who works as a partner in the private practice of real estate agent Knight Frank, has known William since primary school, with his family known to be one of the royal family’s closest and most loyal allies. He is pictured (left) riding in a carriage with the Queen at Ascot in 2017
In addition to his brother Charles, who is also said to have close ties to the princes, Thomas had another younger brother, Henry, who died in a car accident in 2002.
William and Harry are said to have been devastated by the death of Henry, who was killed instantly when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree outside Ludgrove Prep School.
After Henry’s death, his family established the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, of which Thomas is a patron.
The charity works to fight poverty in Uganda through education and both William and Harry are patrons.
His friendship with the princes made headlines in 2011 when he was attacked with a knife point while on the phone with Harry in Battersea, and the concerned prince drove around town to check on him.
Thomas Van Straubenzee (pictured at a charity polo match in Cirencester in 2018) gave a speech at Prince William’s wedding reception
James Meade, who went to Eton with Prince William, was the other real best man, according to Prince Harry’s memoir (pictured: James Meade attending the wedding of Lucy Meade and Charlie Budgett in Chippenham in 2014).
In 2013, Thomas married Lady Melissa Percy, daughter of the Duke of Northumberland, at her family’s ancestral home, Alnwick Castle, which also doubles as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Among the guests were Princes William and Harry.
The couple divorced three years later in 2016, with Thomas citing ‘irrational behavior’ as the reason the relationship collapsed.
He remarried in 2020 and tied the knot with Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, a teacher at Battersea school attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and they share a young son, Albert.
Meanwhile, James Meade, who Harry claimed was the other ‘real’ best man at Prince William’s wedding, went to Eton with the elder king.
He is the son of Olympic gold medalist Richard Meade.
Prince William and his wife Kate on their wedding day on April 29, 2011. Prince Harry has sensationally claimed that despite appearances he was not the real best man on the big day
James Meade is one of William’s closest friends, with a union dating back to Eton
James is also close to the Princess of Wales, even accompanying her to the Badminton Horse Trials in May 2007 following her brief split from William.
Known to his friends as “Meadey”, he once attended a charity boxing match at Boodles Boxing Ball in 2008 – nicknamed “The Badger” – watched by William and Kate.
He and his wife Lady Laura Marsham, daughter of the 8th Earl of Romney, are both godparents to Princess Charlotte.
In other claims, the prince recounts how, just hours before his wedding to Kate, William met people who had gathered in the Mall at Buckingham Palace while “getting tipsy from last night’s rum”.
Harry recalls saying to him, “You smell like alcohol,” before offering him mints as he rolled down the car’s windows, and the smell of “the aftermath of last night’s rum” on his “boozed” breath. brother described.
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