According to Prince William, attending his grandmother’s funeral while participating in the Procession to Lying in State brought up difficult memories of his mother Princess Diana’s funeral from 25 years earlier.
In a scene reminiscent of when they followed their late mother’s coffin in 1997 after her untimely death at the age of 36, the Prince of Wales and his brother Prince Harry walked behind the Queen’s coffin on Wednesday.
Photo: Instagram
William admitted to Jane Wells, who was at Sandringham on Thursday to lay flowers, that as he and brother Harry walked behind the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, thoughts of his mother’s funeral were foremost in their minds.
She said: “He told us yesterday had been particularly difficult and following the coffin had reminded him of his mother’s funeral, of Diana”
Another audience member told the emotional Prince that she was on the verge of crying, to which he responded, “Don’t cry now – you’ll start me,” adding, “He said it had been very difficult.”
In the meantime, social media users who saw images of the two Princes at the procession were moved to tears. In response to the poignant images, one person wrote: “This breaks my heart. Prince William appears to be attempting to maintain his composure by clenching his jaw.
“I’m sure they looked at the Queen as a mother figure and someone who was a constant in their lives after the death of their mother. Their young boy faces are so painful to see. So many challenging emotions to understand when you’re young. I’m happy they now have their wives and kids to comfort them.
“I couldn’t stop picturing those tragic pictures from Diana’s memorial. It’s challenging to display your sorrow. Another person chimed in, calling it “such an intrusion,” and American television personality Katie Couric also spoke up.
She compared the images from 1997 and this year, writing, “Prince Harry and Prince William walked side by side behind their grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s coffin today, a scene reminiscent of when, as boys 25 years ago, they followed their mother Princess Diana’s casket.”
