Prince Harry Recalls Princess Diana's Funeral Procession, Says He Was Almost Not Allowed To Walk Behind Her Coffin

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prince Harry , who published his memoir, Spare, in 2023, discussed in length about the tumultuous days after the death of his mother, Princess Diana . In the book, he even shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the decision to have him and Prince William walk behind their mother's coffin as part of her funeral ceremony, People magazine reported.

When Prince Harry walked behind his Princess Diana's coffin

In the wee hours of August 31, 1997, many were shocked to hear about the tragic demise of Princess Diana at the age of 36 in a car accident in Paris.A week after that, a procession was held in London as people mourned her death, while her coffin passed through the streets of London. Later on, she was buried at her ancestral home.

A major highlight from that day was that people got to witness Prince William and Prince William walk behind their mother's coffin. At that time, the two brothers were 15 and 12 years old.

The two sons of Princess Diana kept their eyes on the ground as they joined their father, King Charles, grandfather Prince Philip, and uncle Charles Spencer.

Prince Harry opens up about mother's funeral procession

In his memoir, Prince Harry shared his views when he saw his mother's coffin for the first time as it was draped in the Royal Standard. He stated that it was an "extraordinary break with protocol," which made him second-guess her exile from the royal family after she parted ways with King Charles, People magazine reported.

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"The Royal Standard was always reserved for members of the Royal Family, which, I'd been told, Mummy wasn't anymore... Did this mean she was forgiven? By Granny? Apparently. But these were questions I couldn't quite formulate, let alone ask an adult," he wrote.

Talking about his mother's funeral procession, Prince Harry wrote that the plan was that the coffin would be pulled through the streets on a horse-drawn carriage, while the two brothers followed on foot.

"It seemed a lot to ask of two young boys. Several adults were aghast. Mummy's brother, Uncle Charles, raised hell. 'You can't make these boys walk behind their mother's coffin! It's barbaric'," Prince Harry stated.

At that time, an alternative plan was also proposed. Under this, Prince William would walk alone, while they decided to "leave the younger one (Prince Harry) out of it". "Spare the Spare," Harry added.

That did not happen as ultimately both the brothers walked together. Prince Harry wrote that the decision was made that it "must be both princes" in order to“garner sympathy, presumably.” However, he shared that "Uncle Charles was furious" over this.

"But I wasn't. I didn't want Willy to undergo an ordeal like that without me. Had the roles been reversed, he'd never have wanted me - indeed, allowed me - to go it alone," Harry said.

FAQsWhat happened to Princess Diana?

She died in a car accident in Paris.

How many children did King Charles and Princess Diana have?

They are parents of Prince William and Prince Harry.

What was Prince Harry's age at the time of his mother's death?

He was 12 years old.

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