A lip reader has shared the four-word comment Kate Middleton allegedly made to Prince William after his tense interaction with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The moment allegedly took place after the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, on September 16, when senior members of the royal family were leaving the service and waiting for their cars.
According to a new Channel 5 documentary, Lip-Reading the Royals, a lip reader believes the 66-year-old used the moment to approach his nephew and attempt to make amends.
Lip Reader Claims Andrew Tried To Seek Forgiveness
According to Nicola Hickling, Mountbatten-Windsor told the Prince of Wales: “I’ve learnt from what I’ve done, but before I forget, and if I can, I’d like to ask you if you can forgive?” per Manchester Evening News.
Body language expert Adrienne Carter said the interaction appeared to make the 43-year-old deeply uncomfortable. “I think his body language is screaming, ‘Get away from me, I don’t want to be photographed, particularly engaging with you,'” she explained.
Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbitar, also commented on the exchange, suggesting William’s expression revealed his feelings about the situation.
“William’s face said everything, ‘I don’t want to converse with you, push off’. And I think Andrew probably got the message,” he said.
Middleton’s Comment To William After The Exchange
After the former royal walked away, the Princess of Wales reportedly approached her husband on the steps of Westminster Cathedral.
Hickling claims the 44-year-old then made a short remark about Mountbatten-Windsor’s demeanor, telling William: “He seems very sorry.”
Per the lip reader, the father-of-three responded: “‘Do you think I deserved that’ before asking: “Is that what you mean?” Hickling says the princess repeated her earlier comment to him.
Royal commentator Christo Foufas pointed out that despite how Mountbatten-Windsor may have appeared, he never actually apologized during the interaction.
“He might have seemed sorry Princess Catherine but those words did not leave his mouth, he didn’t actually say sorry did he,” Foufas said.
.jpg_ot0UsB?tr=f-webp,q-75)
Strained Relationship Between William and Andrew
Prince William’s relationship with his uncle has reportedly been tense for some time due to the controversy surrounding the 66-year-old’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations involving Virginia Giuffre, which he denies.
According to Daily Mail royal editor Russell Myers in his book William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, William has taken a hardline stance regarding Mountbatten-Windsor’s future within the royal family.
Myers wrote that the prince pushed for his uncle to settle the civil case with Giuffre in order to prevent further damage to the monarchy.
“Talks gathered at pace concerning Andrew’s ‘ultimate gamble’ of demanding to be tried by a jury in the case,” he claimed. “In private, William again voiced his concerns to his father that his disgraced uncle should seek to settle the case to avoid further scandal.
“The duke would eventually choose to settle with Giuffre for £12 million ($16 million) on 14 February, £2 million ($2.7 million) of which was set as a donation to her personal charity for sex-abuse victims,” he added.
Myers also claimed that William went even further, suggesting his disgraced uncle should not attend royal events at all, but this “was overruled by the Prince of Wales [Charles’ title at the time],” the editor said.
Despite reportedly disagreeing with the decision, William is said to have respected his father’s ruling and was “privately adamant that when he became king, the Duke of York would have absolutely no place within the royal fold, publicly or otherwise”.
.jpg_14Nfc7?tr=cr-0.0.811.1024,f-webp,q-75)
The ex-prince was later stripped of his royal titles following mounting scrutiny over his association with Epstein.
On February 19, 2026, Thames Valley Police took him into custody in connection with an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office. He was released after 11 hours.
