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Harry gave 'cheeky' Prince Philip a loving tribute but Prince William only spoke 'about himself', says Internet

In a loving tribute, Harry crowned his grandfather the 'master of the barbecue' and the 'legend of banter' who was cheeky right till the end

Following Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle's heavily criticized tribute in response to Prince Philip's death, Harry penned a most touching, colorful and vivid homage for his late grandfather. Incidentally, this statement was much longer than the mere two lines on the couple's website Archewell. His elder brother Prince William's tribute, however, was formal and somber just as the Cambridge royal's public persona has been for years. Harry, on the other hand, took liberties, albeit with some incorrect grammar, according to royal family pundit Richard Kay.

The two videos were posted on social media separated by a 30-minute gap and William's tribute arrived first. With personal memories and vivid anecdotes, both the brothers' tributes were heartfelt. But the expert also noted that the fact that the two brothers did not share a joint statement in response to their grandfather's death is quite telling in terms of the alleged rift between them. 

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Prince William's tribute

In his tribute shared by the Kensington Royals' official Instagram account, the Duke of Cambridge remembered his beloved grandfather taking his children for horsedrawn rides. The statement accompanied a photograph of William's then-two-year-old son George alongside Philip on his carriage at Sandringham. He spoke of his 'mischievous' grandfather's presence during the 'hardest of days', presumably about his mother Diana's death, when Philip did the most to console the then 15-year-old William in his grief.

Grateful for the kindness Philip showed him and his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, he wrote, "Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support the Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job." Some on social media found William's tribute more in tune with the tone of the British Royals. A user tweeted, "HRH Prince William, like the late Duke has the same sense of dedication to serving as amplified in his tribute. He will make a great King for England." 

What Harry said for his grandfather

Informal, lighthearted and making a note of all of his 'cheeky' times with the late monarch, Harry's statement was shared by his US-based Archwell foundation instead of using the services of the palace. Kay, however, told Daily Mail this was a "mistake" and also noted a certain 'Americanism' about Harry's choice of words, describing his grandfather's affinity for beer and calling him a "man of service, honor and great humor" who was "authentically himself". Harry said, "He was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end'." Harry added: "I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, 'Oh do get on with it.'"

This was something common both the brothers had in their statements — offering a nod to the late Duke of Edinburgh's motto to just "get on with it". Harry also mentioned his family in his tribute, sharing, "Meghan, Archie and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts."

Social media found this to be more heartfelt, as a user tweeted: "Harry showed real love and affection in his tribute. It wasn’t about himself. William wrote about himself and his wife. It wasn’t about his grandpa. Nuff said." Some even commended: "All of the family gave wonderful tributes to Prince Philip - and mentioned him as a Papa, Father and Grandpa - except Harry’s FIRST tribute on their website which was cold and unfeeling. However, his second tribute was much more heartfelt. Think Harry realised his gaff.."