Princess Anne the only female behind the hearse

[jeanne16]

While the funeral was beautiful, I couldn’t help feeling annoyed that Princess Anne was the only female to walk behind the hearse. Surely all the grandchildren could have been included. Instead we see Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara tottering along on high heels. It would have been so much better to see them take an equal place with the men.

it is traditional for men to walk,

The exceptions to the rule being applied here are Anne walking in spite of being female, and Viscount Linley not walking in spite of being a grandson (presumably because he’s only 13).

We’ll likely never know who would have walked if the full procession (bar knowing who likely would have like the other royal dukes, more of his German relatives etc), but I think it’s pretty safe to say that there is no way that the granddaughters would have been prevented from walking if they had wanted to do so.

The whole concept of monarchy and the aristocracy is fundamentally misogynistic so this should not be a surprise.

She was the second eldest child of Prince Philip (and is the Princess Royal), the third and fourth eldest children walked behind her. Then came the three eldest grandchildren (also children of the two eldest children).

Nothing at all to do with their sex.

For goodness sake, the Queen is a woman.

Because it was their family funeral and it was up to them who went where.

Viscount Severn, sorry.

Seems quite straightforward to me
PP chose His
4 children
1st grandchild
Successor to throne
favourite grandson.

Makes sense to me !

it is male only but anne wanted to

I'm sure they wouldn't have put Edward's son alone in the procession, not after seeing what it did to Harry at a similar age. Sophie wouldn't have walked either I don't think, as that would have left the children on their own to go into the chapel, and they probably needed to be with their Mum on a day like this.

I think the only person who would have been told “no” if they asked to walk is Viscount Severn.

Not a chance Sophie would have allowed that spotlight to be put on him at such a tender age.

@Maggiesfarm they are not the 3 eldest grandchildren as Zara is older than William and Harry.

But it doesn't bother me who walked behind. I wouldn't have wanted to as would have been in full glare of cameras and I am not good at funerals and would have been weeping all the way.

It's tradition for the men to walk.
Anne broke the tradition, and PP presumably was happy with that plan.

Besides there had to be some people in the church waiting for the queen, Zara and Beatrice have recently given birth, and not everyone wants to walk behind hearse whilst millions of people watch on their TV.

I'd imagine there would also have been more comments on what the younger women were wearing, which does detract from the occasion.

Please can you let us know the details of your funeral @jeanne16 or the funerals of anyone in your family so I can let you know if any of the arrangements annoy me.

Exactly, also why the digs about heels too.

I can't really imagine that PP specified that all the lady mourners, bar his wife and daughter, had to totter about in six inch heels. Not that it was unknown for Royals in the past to specify what people could wear or in some cases were not allowed to wear.

I don't think James is ever very much in the spotlight at any of the events and his parents are sensitive to put his needs first. Not all children will be suited to that sort of role, and they'll have seen first hand what happened to Harry when it was just expected that he would walk at his mother's funeral.

It’s traditional for it to be the men to walk; Princess Anne wanted to walk (as she did at the Queen Mother’s funeral), so she did. I can only assume that had Beatrice, Zara etc also wanted to walk that they would have been able to do so.

The Queen is famously close to Lady Sarah Chatto (her niece; Princess Margaret’s daughter) - she and her brother (Earl of Snowdon) used to holiday with and spend a lot of time with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as children. It’s fair to assume that Prince Philip knew her husband well and regarded them both as family.

It isn't the first time Anne has effectively challenged sexism in protocols, pity she seems to be the only established royal willing to push even the mildest of boundaries.

I think the Queen is both steeped in the tradition and protocol but also making steps to modernise.

At her father's funeral she gave way to her mother despite protocol dictating that the monarch should have precedence and yesterday she again deferred to her husband's coffin. It's also in her reign, that finally Letters Patent were issued to ensure the second Cambridge child would keep their place in the hierarchy regardless of gender and so Charlotte ranks above her younger brother.

Anne walked behind her Grandmother's coffin in the procession, but the other Granddaughter, Sarah Chatto, was represented by her husband. I think it's absolutely right that they should either go with tradition or break it, depending on their own preference.

It’s just that traditionally senior male mourners walk behind and women don’t.

Anne obviously just wanted to - I think she has some military roles doesn’t she, and is supposed to have been his favourite child (plus it meant Charles didn’t have to walk next to Andrew!)

I am sure If Zara, Beatrice and Eugenie had collectively wanted to, they could have done, but given they all favoured very high heels / probably weren’t bothered, they didn’t.

Edwards son didn’t as still a kid.

I understood that whilst it was tweaked due to covid, all the original plans came from Prince Philip himself and what he wanted.

I'd think they've tried to balance tradition just the men walking, Anne stamping her Royal foot, mee too! And not having more people walking than already seated in the Chapel.

Maybe if the funeral had been bigger and different timing (ie not just after two of them had given birth) then Zara, B & E would have walked too.

So a funeral with 30 people 8 walked?

BTW I'm not suggesting either Zara or Eugenie are special flowers. Zara is clearly a chip of her mum, you don't become an Olympic champion being a special flower. But soon after giving birth she might still be sore and uncomfortable.
It's one thing having a leisurely stroll back up the hill, it's another having to walk in procession keeping the pace with others.

Traditionally men follow the coffin, but Anne's a bit of a legend who does things her own way.

I can't imagine battling to get to the front of the queue behind a hearse. It's a sad occasion and I doubt any of them were proud of their place. Where I'm from the chief mourners will follow first, then further family with spouses, children, close friends, neighbours.
Say it's an elderly woman whose husband has died. Typically it will be the widow accompanied by her children. I've seen children have to almost drag mourners along, their grief is so raw.

If it's a young mother who lost a child, it will be Mum, Dad, other siblings, the grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. Then close friends, then colleagues/neighbours.

Everyone walks behind the hearse, sometimes hundreds.

Surely Princess Anne was the only female behind the hearse as the only female child of Prince Phillip and the Queen? And the only grandchildren following the hearse were William and Harry - none of the other grandchildren were following the hearse (as is traditional I think) so yes Anne was the only female.

There are no rules where I'm from. It is those who are most bereft who lead, usually accompanied by those who will be most supportive to them.