The Reason Why William And Harry Won’t Walk Side By Side At Prince Philip Funeral
The funeral ceremony for the Duke of Edinburgh will be held on Saturday. With the planning for the funeral ceremony almost done, on Thursday it was revealed that Prince William and Prince Harry would be walking alongside their cousin, Peter Philips, at the ceremony on Saturday.
Some fans have questioned why the two brothers wont be walking side by side, with some making up all kinds of theories and speculations. Despite the strained relationship that the two have at the moment due to recent events, the answer why they wont be walking next to each other has nothing to do with this and is quite simple.
Peter is Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s first-born grandchild, therefore his prominent central position in the funeral procession makes perfect sense.
At the funeral, Prince William and Prince Harry, and their cousin will be positioned in the same row, behind Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, while being in front of Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Earl of Snowdon.
Others who will be joining them in the processional party are Prince Charles, Princess Anne, a personal protection officer, a private secretary, two pages and two valets.
The procession will begin at the state entrance of Windsor Castle and end at St George’s Chapel, where the funeral will start at 3pm with a minute of silence.
For those who want to follow it safely from their homes, the service will be broadcast on BBS One, with the organizers of the event advising people not to come in person to Windsor to pay their respect.
A Buckingham Palace statement said: “While there is a sadness that the public will not be able to physically be part of events to commemorate the life of The Duke, the Royal Family ask that anyone wishing to express their condolences do so in the safest way possible and not by visiting Windsor or any other Royal Palaces to pay their respects.”
It added: “The family’s wish is very much that people continue to follow the Government guidelines to keep themselves and others safe. His Royal Highness’s funeral will be broadcast to enable as many people as possible to be part of the occasion, to mourn with us and celebrate a truly extraordinary life.”
The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin will be carried by a specially-modified Land Rover, with the Prince himself having part in designing before his passing. The commissioned vehicle is part of the original plans set and approved by the Prince before his passing.
It is reported that during his life he had played a role in designing two vehicles-the one that will be used in the service, and another one that will serve as back-up.
The original plan for the ceremony was to accommodate around 800 people, but with the global health crisis still at large, the Queen had to make very drastic cuts to that list, with only a measly 30 people attending under the new guidelines.
Among the ones planned are the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex. Charles, Anne and Edward’s spouses, the Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Countess of Wessex respectively, will also be among those allowed to attend.
Prince Philip’s grandchildren will also attend the funeral and most of them will be joined by their spouses: Prince William and Kate, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Zara and Mike Tindall, Peter Phillips, and Prince Philip’s youngest grandchildren, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Prince Harry will be returning alone from the US, as his wife Meghan Markle is currently pregnant with their second child and doctors have advised against travelling to the UK in these later stages of her pregnancy that she is in. She will stay behind in the US and take care of their one-year-old son Archie.