Prince William and Prince Harry’s uncle left behind a £1.5 million fortune in his will—but neither royal received anything.
Lord Robert Fellowes left nearly his entire estate to his wife following his passing last July, The Sun has revealed.
That decision meant both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, who are no longer on speaking terms, were left out of the 82-year-old’s final wishes. Lord Fellowes was married to Princess Diana’s sister, Lady Jane Spencer.
Despite the strained relationship between the brothers, both William, 42, and Harry, 40, flew in to attend their uncle’s memorial service last August in the small Norfolk village of Snettisham.
Reports from the event said the brothers stood “virtually back to back” and avoided speaking, even at the gathering honoring the well-liked baron.
Documents approved by the High Court last week show that Lord Fellowes left an estate valued at £1,517,418. That included a £4,000 deduction for legal costs and related fees.
According to his 2012 will, Lord Fellowes gifted £1,000 to a local hospice, £500 to St Mary’s Church—where his memorial took place—£5,000 to Eton College, his alma mater, and £1,000 to Andrew Grange, the handyman who assisted the couple at their Old Vicarage estate near Sandringham.
There were no personal bequests for either William or Harry, who have not appeared together publicly since that service.
The rest of the estate was left to his wife, Lady Jane, Princess Diana’s older sister.
Lord Fellowes, portrayed by Andrew Havill in Netflix’s The Crown, married Lady Jane in 1978, three years before Diana wed Prince Charles.
He served as a trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth II, working in her private office from 1977 and later becoming her private secretary from 1990 to 1999. He helped guide the Queen through some of the Royal Family’s most challenging years.
Reverend Dan Tansley, who led the memorial, spoke to The Sun afterward, saying, “It was a lovely service and there were a lot of people who wanted to be there for someone who was really well-respected in the village.
“It was only as I was greeting the congregation on the way out that Prince William was shaking my hand, and then very quickly after Prince Harry did too.
“It wasn’t a tremendous shock William was there, as that was always a possibility, but I suppose it was more of a surprise that Harry had come.”
He added, “I don’t recollect them speaking to each other but there were a lot of family members and friends speaking to them.
“It would have meant a lot to Lord Robert to have them both at the service because I know both he and his auntie love them both very much.”
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