Prince William’s Silent Reaction to an Awkward Moment With Prince Andrew Went Viral

If the pointed non-reaction is considered an art, Prince William has officially perfected it. For proof of this objective fact of the world we live in, look no further than the clip of William and his disgraced uncle Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent's funeral that went viral this week.

The clip, which was dubbed "a case study in please stfu-ism" in a post on X which has been viewed more than 685,000 times as of this writing, shows Andrew sidling up to William at the royal funeral service Tuesday and attempting to strike up a conversation—"attempting" being the operative word.

William, for his part, looks instantly and obviously uncomfortable and says nothing in response to his uncle in the clip, reacting with a combination of annoyed glares, curt nods, and focused looks into the distance at literally anything else.

Will's reaction was truly a masterclass in telling someone you would rather be doing anything in the world more than engaging with them without actually saying a word or dissociating completely from the moment.

Another user shared a longer version of the clip on X in a post that has been viewed more than 806,000 times and included commentary of their own, writing, "Watch how the disgusting man Andrew out of nowhere got closer to #PrinceWilliam, looked at the cameras then tried to talk to him while William’s body language said everything, he ignored him and started talking to Sir Tim Laurence +see William was normal with other family members."

And, as if William's face hadn't made his disdain for interactions with Andrew clear enough, royal sources have made sure to while speaking to the press in the wake of the awkward moment.

According to the Daily Beast, William wasn't just annoyed by his proximity to Andrew at the event, but “boiling with anger” over being put in the situation at all.

A source described as "a friend of William" told the outlet it was "disgrace" that Andrew had been seated directly behind the Prince and Princess of Wales at the funeral and that William was "furious" about being "ambushed" by his uncle at the somber event.

The Daily Beast reported that the source also "noted that William has for years been at pains to avoid being photographed alongside Andrew, refusing to allow him to appear at events such as the Garter Day procession."

This is in line with other reports about William's feelings about Andrew, who stepped down from royal life after his infamous 2019 Newsnight interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Over the last few years, several reports have suggested that William clashed with King Charles about how to handle Andrew and his role in the royal family.

"I think William is harder about this and perhaps more willing to take a tough stand against his uncle," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror of the situation, adding that William seems "determined to protect the monarchy and show that they do all understand the strength of public animosity towards Andrew."

This week, following Will and Andrew's awkward encounter at the Duchess of Kent's funeral, writer Rob Shuter shared in a post on his Substack that a royal source described as a "senior aide" confirmed to him that William and Charles are still odds when it comes to Andrew.

“William believes his father is letting sentiment destroy credibility,” the source told Shuter. "William wants Andrew gone for good. But Charles still sees a brother. That’s the rift threatening to tear the palace apart."