Prince Harry reunited with his brother Prince William, the newly minted Prince of Wales, on Wednesday (Sept. 14) as part of the funeral procession for Queen Elizabeth II. Harry, 37, and William, 40, joined their wives – Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton – as the body of the late British monarch made its way to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state until Monday (Sept. 19). The two couples arrived in separate cars. Meghan and Kate did not walk in the processional with their husbands. However, this moment marked the first time King Charles III’s sons were seen in public together since the death of Elizabeth II. The longest-reigning British ruler passed away on Sept. 8 at age 96.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Duchess Catherine, and Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan attend service for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall. https://t.co/bmRdcp9tXL pic.twitter.com/sJAGbtfuRb
— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 14, 2022
A day before the procession, Harry and Meghan, 41, joined the royal family to receive the coffin when it arrived at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth died in her home at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Her funeral will be held on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey, with a service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Her final resting place will be St. George’s Chapel, where she will be interred in the royal vault. Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband who died at age 99 in 2021, will be moved so he may lie next to her in the crypt.
Harry remembered his “granny” with a tribute posted to his Archewell website on Sept. 12. “She was globally admired and respected throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy. Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: ‘Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings,’” he wrote.
“I cherish these times shared with you,” added Harry, “and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And, as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III. Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile. We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
Following the death of the Queen, Meghan and Harry’s children are now able to use the titles “Prince” and “Princess.” Before, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, 3, and 1-year-old Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor could not use those royal titles because they were great-grandchildren to the ruling sovereign. Now, with King Charles on the throne, Archie and Lilibet are grandchildren to the current monarch, which grants them the ability to use the title.
King Charles could issue a Letter Patent to prevent the children from being christened with the titles. While that seems odd, Harry and Megan said in their 2021 tell-all interview that Charles planned to have a smaller monarchy when he reigned.