Feel sorry for Harry walking behind the Queens coffin

[FayeGovan]

It must be very triggering for him, i feel for him.

I'm not a fan of the royals at all.

However just because they are royals doesn't entitle you and others to post thoughtless comments.

I'm very close to my nan I am the 2nd born grandchild but the 1st girl and we have a tight bond. You wouldn't speak like this IRL about acquaintances would you?

Publicly grieving?
They initially refused to lower the flags and said Diana would have a private family funeral. They did not think there should be anything public for Diana at all as she was not a member of the Royal family anymore.
Only public anger led to a u turn. But anger had built by that stage that they had to appear looking at flowers left to dampen the anger.
If they had not tried to treat her death as a totally private matter at the beginning, far less would have been required.

Well said

Agree. We don't know what truly went on. They are not ordinary people.

A child's word is unreliable hence them not being involved in court proceedings for example. There's reasons it is not deemed suitable for a child.

I feel for Harry as he must feel deeply ashamed about how he and his wife have treated his family. It seems hypocritical of them to be here at all.

I've never heard of controversial footage of Andrew and Eugenie. What's that about?

I think they're both strong men who will be completely fine and glad to be able to pay their respects in the traditional way to their much loved grandmother.

Whatever they've done, whatever he thinks of the system, they'd never been any point he's suggested he doesn't live his Nan. People let down the people they love daily. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed at their funeral!

Totally disagree. Twelve is not old enough to decide that. Especially if your brother and dad are also doing it. It was a terrible thing and Diana would never have allowed it

if Harry wanted to do it then he should. I lost a parent at a similar age and was not allowed to visit the hospital after or go to the funeral, and it was deemed too upsetting. Many many years later I still wish I had, for a variety of reasons. I wish I had seen the packed church, I wish I had been allowed to grieve and not been packed off to school to be “normal”. Children need to feel some sort of control and need to be allowed to choose what’s best for them.

the Andrew video to me it just looks like he’s had his arm around her, then as he’s knelt down his arm has stayed for balance. I don’t think he’s feeling her up!

I read it was the Blair government who wanted the boys to walk behind their mums coffin. To reassure the public that the royal family cared, the Queen wasnt as popular then and the government wanted a big show for joe bloggs..

Anyway, i feel for Harry, i hope meghan gives him a big hug. Im the leadt royal supporter going, but i can see how this will be hard going for them.

@Reallyreallyborednow I think 12-year-olds should be allowed to decide whether to go to a funeral and I am sorry you were not.

Attending a funeral is very different to parading behind your mother's coffin in front of a large crowd with some hysterical people in it.

My memories of Diana's death are of general national annoyance at the (initial) complete radio silence from the royal family, and the apparent refusal to acknowledge that a lot of their 'subjects' were actually quite shocked and upset and that (rightly or wrongly) they still thought of Diana as royal because she was still a princess. So the flag thing looked petty.

I think if a single one of the senior royals had done a broadcast early on saying something like, 'what a dreadful time, the boys are staying at Balmoral, they are children, please understand that this is best for them, god bless you all for caring', it would have all been a lot better. But no, the public got the fuck off pills, and then it spiralled out of control.

But why couldn’t it be treated as private? She had divorced out of the family. How many divorces do you know where the families have to do stuff for their child’s ex? None I assume.

It came from the Royal Family.
Diana's brother publicly spoke out at the time and said it was wrong. Philip apparently was keen on it.

And i feel the boys didnt have much choice then..

Im mid 50s, i remember it well. But like lots of things with the royals, the truth sometimes comes out later..

@StClare101 That was the royal family's view. Diana was just an ex. There should be nothing publicly except a mention in the media of her death and a statement of sadness from the Palace.
But she was incredibly popular and their view angered much of the public. The anger was very real amongst the public. The Royal Family totally misjudged the public mood.

Ask someone else about why it should be different. I watched a bit of the funeral, but certainly was not crying or signing condolence books.

For Philip walking behind a coffin was just the done thing. He had to walk at 16 behind the coffin of his sister who was killed in a plane crash.

Diana's brother at the time said it came from the Royal Family.

There is often at attempt to change events in the public memory. I have seen it happening a number of times. It is why I loved the documentary about Diana's death using actual news footage from the time.

Because Harry has spoke about them. You don't know William hasn't experienced issues, it's just he doesn't tell the whole world them.

They couldn’t win on that one.

if they’d started organising things right away and the Spencer family had objected they’d have looked appalling. Like they were trying to co-opt the funeral of a woman who wasn’t part of their family anymore.

By thinking she wasn’t part of their family and leaving it to the Spencers they were lambasted.

Nobody could have predicted the way the public went when Diana died. it was unprecedented and at times simply bizarre.

It came from the Royal Family.
Diana's brother publicly spoke out at the time and said it was wrong. Philip apparently was keen on it.

In all the versions of this story I have heard, Philip was not at all happy about it but said he would walk with the boys if they were in fact going to do it. I don’t remember anyone saying it was wrong at the time. Did you get that from his comments to the Independent ? He didn’t speak about it publicly. He says he raised objections with Royal Officials

But why couldn’t it be treated as private? She had divorced out of the family. How many divorces do you know where the families have to do stuff for their child’s ex? None I assume.

Exactly, Diana wasn't a member of the RF at the time of her death.

I think it’s because Harry has given himself permanent victim status whereas William is more stoic and stiff upper lip. William seems like a mature man, a proper grown up and Harry is still like a little vulnerable boy. Personally I think the pain was the same for them both it’s unfortunate people forget that.

It’s was well known and reported widely that Prince Philip did not want the boys to leave Balmoral, having been through all this himself at a similar age with losing his own mother, and told one of Blair’s aides to ‘F**k Off’ on the phone when it was first mooted they travel to London.

amp.theguardian.com/media/2008/sep/20/adamboulton.media1

It was nuts when Diana died. But i dont think we'll see her likes again, she was a real one-off.