Prince William had thousands of Coronation Concert goers applauding as he spoke about his father King Charles – and people were quick to point out a connection to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Prince William seemed to take aim at his younger brother Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle as he delivered a powerful speech at a historic royal event last year.

William, the heir to the throne, was the only member of the Royal Family to speak at King Charles’s Coronation Concert, held on the grounds of Windsor Castle. In his speech, which came one day after Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey, William recognised his father’s decades of service and commitment to others.

“Pa, we are all so proud of you,” said William, who attended the concert with his wife Princess Kate, and their two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. As my Grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. And I know she’s up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. She would be a proud mother.”

He continued: “For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message. Service. My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve.” A number of people took to Twitter after hearing William’s words at the time – with many believing it was a definite dig at Harry and Meghan.

One viewer said: “Service Harry. Do you hear that? Not a free ride.” “SERVICE. Something Harry doesn’t understand,” added another. When the Sussexes controversially decided to quit life as working royals, Buckingham Palace released a statement about them stepping away from their duties.

It read: “Following conversations with the Duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.” But Harry and Meghan hit back by issuing their own statement, which read: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”

It’s been a year since the Coronation festivities – but relations between Harry and the royals have only continued to sour. Harry – who was in attendance for the Coronation service but did not participate in any of the other celebrations – is due to fly back to London in a matter of days to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. He will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday, May 8, and is expected to provide a reading.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will see his father. The last time they saw each other was when Harry dashed back to the UK in February in the hours after the King’s cancer diagnosis was made public. But the pair spent just 45 minutes together on a whirlwind trip that saw Harry spend only 24 hours in his home country.

Insiders have also ruled out a reunion between Harry and his older brother William. Friends told The Daily Beast: “Both sides understand each other’s position clearly now. William and Catherine felt completely betrayed by Harry’s memoir. They don’t speak to Harry and Meghan, and they are certainly not about to start when Catherine is at her most vulnerable.”