Prince William Admits Walking Behind Queen’s Coffin Brought Up ‘Difficult’ Memories Of Princess Diana’s Funeral
25 years after the death of his mother, Prince William admitted that he’s been struggling with grief all over again after the loss of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
Prince William, 40, paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by walking behind his late grandmother’s casket with his brother Prince Harry. The Sept. 14 procession brought the Queen’s body from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Richard Palmer, a reporter for the U.K.’s Daily Express, claimed on Twitter that when William was outside Sandringham Estate on Sept. 15, he told a woman named Jane Wells that the procession triggered memories of his late mother Princess Diana‘s funeral. William and Harry were just aged 15 and 12 when they followed their mom’s casket in September 1997.
Prince William told a woman sympathising with him at Sandringham that the procession yesterday had been “very difficult” and had reminded him of walking behind his mother’s coffin. He told another woman: “Don’t cry now, you’ll start me.”
— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) September 15, 2022
During his chat with Jane, William apparently said that the procession was “very difficult” for him, according to Richard Palmer’s tweet. Jane, who was in Sandringham to lay flowers in the Queen’s honor, told reporters how she responded to the Prince of Wales, per Good Morning America. “I said, ‘Your mother would be so proud of you and thank you for sharing your grief with us,’ and he said, ‘I’m learning that she was everyone’s grandmother, the way people have reacted,’ ” Jane said.
William greeted another person in Sandringham who was emotional about the 96-year-old monarch’s death. “Don’t cry now. You’ll start me,” William allegedly said to the person in mourning, according to Richard Palmer’s tweet. William and his wife Kate Middleton traveled to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to admire the floral tributes left by the public to the Queen.
In spite of their complicated relationship, William and Harry have been with each other, in private and public mourning, since their grandmother fell ill and passed away on Sept. 8. The brothers walked behind the Queen’s casket with their father King Charles III and other relatives including Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. William was dressed in military uniform while Harry, who stepped back from his royal duties in early 2021, and now lives in America with his wife Meghan Markle, was dressed in civilian attire.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19. She”ll be laid to rest next to her husband Prince Philip at King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. Her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, as well as her sister Princess Margaret, are also laid to rest there. A few months after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, her son King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey will take place.