Prince William and Prince Harry put on a united front as they paid tribute to their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The royal brothers walked behind their grandmother’s casket on September 14 during the procession that brought the longest reigning UK monarch from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where her body will lie in State for 4 days.
Walking from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall must have evoked deep memories for the Princes. They made the same journey while following mom Princess Diana’s coffin after her 1997 death. The boys were just aged 12 and 15 at the time.
For this solemn procession, the Queen’s grandchildren were joined by King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as their cousin, Peter Phillips. Prince William was dressed in military uniform while Harry, who stepped back from his royal duties in early 2021, was dressed in civilian attire. The streets were reportedly dead silent, save for the gong of Big Ben and the shots of guns in Hyde Park, per CNN.
The sons of the new King Charles III have been with each other, in private and public mourning, since news of their grandmother’s ill health emerged last week. The brothers first came together on Saturday, when they stopped by Windsor Palace to pay their respects and see the floral tributes left at the gates of the Castle. They were joined by their wives, Catherine and Meghan, in the unplanned appearance. The Sussexes were in England doing charity work at the time of the Queen’s death.
Prince Harry released a touching statement following his grandmother’s death. Posting to the Archewell foundation’s social media, he wrote, “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.'”