Feel sorry for Harry walking behind the Queens coffin

[FayeGovan]

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

Diana's funeral shouldn't have been such a big deal. She was the Prince of Wales's ex. If the public hadn't been so hysterical it would have saved the lads quite an ordeal.

Yes thanks for that guardian article

It's Harry's birthday tomorrow. It seems quite a shit birthday. They must be missing their kids like crazy. It was supposed to be a short trip away from them.

It was his sisters funeral that Philip walked behind. She, her husband and her children died in a plane crash.

His mother, Princess Alice, lived to a good age and lived with him and the Queen at Buckingham Palace in her latter years.

Exactly.

Members of the general public wailing, crying, and throwing flowers, something Harry has spoken of finding particularly harrowing. But the public demanded it so it happened.

The young Princes walking behind their mum's coffin in full Media spotlight seems preposterous now.

But back then the public were baying for blood and a public showing of grief. The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family were given a drubbing for not publicly sobbing and self flagellating over Diana's death. The public wanted a spectacle so the public got it. Unfortunately.

Yes, sorry you are quite right @JustLyra his mum wasn’t in the plane crash.

@smilesy
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.

Exactly this. 👍

I found it quite disgusting the way crowds were demanding the Queen return to BP so she could ‘console’ these hysterical nobodies. She was exactly where she should have been, with two young boys who had suddenly lost their mum.

This and I think the DOE was very mad about the boys being made public property too. There is a clip of someone saying to the Queen (their GM) 'Be sure to take care of the boys Ma'am'' and he rightfully shot back, annoyed, 'That's what we've been doing!' The public were so awful to all of them after Diana died, but the children especially. Scenes of people shouting 'William, Harry!' and thrusting flowers at them. Foul and selfish.

I found it quite disgusting the way crowds were demanding the Queen return to BP so she could ‘console’ these hysterical nobodies. She was exactly where she should have been, with two young boys who had suddenly lost their mum.

These things just grow. There's no serious thought behind what's said. There's never a proportionate response. God knows what would happen with SM now, they'd probably be dragged out of the Palace and beaten up. I read a poster on another thread saying they only do their duty because they're scared of being exiled or tortured or executed. WTF!

People cope differently. My sister and I lost our mother at a very very young age, We have dealt with it very differently growing up even though it has shaped us both as adults.

There is a big difference between 12 and 15 years of age.

Yes this is how I remember it. It was like the law/protocol said "she's not royal any more so nowt to do with us" rather than being empathetic enough to realise Diana was still a huge part of the nation's thinking.

I totally agree if there had been a pro-active statement that the 2 sons were being looked after at Balmoral and requesting privacy, that would have been much better.

But hey-Ho, it was a different time, the Royals didn't feel they had to answer to anyone and it was a PR fuckup in many ways for them.

this
haven't seen any tv yet as been busy.
I did think about this when the prince's were meeting and greeting the other day.

I 100% agree with this. The flag thing looked very petty. People interpreted the Royal Family reaction as almost being glad she had died. I am not saying that is true, but I certainly remember some seeing it that way.

The total radio silence was a very poor move. The Queen just wanted to stick to protocol. Diana was a private citizen, so her death could be ignored in public.
Ironically the Royal Family showed much more public grief in the days after Saville died than they showed in the days after Diana died.

I'm not sure I feel any more sorry for him than any of the others walking behind it.

I think two things should always be remembered about the flag thing when Diana died

Firstly the press were desperate- to turn the blame of the public away from themselves. In the first few days the focus was on the press and photographers hounding her to death.

Secondly that flags had never ever been flown at half mast on Buckingham Palace because only the royal standard had been flown.

The press stoked the flag to thing to divert attention from themselves imo.

Yeah it must bring bad memories. I wish Meghan would stop doing that one-corner-of-the-mouth smile thing.

He could have said no, I don't think he's bothered by what people think of him is he? He should feel privileged that he had the honour to be welcomed back into the fold to walk behind the grandmother he had bad mouthed.

I swear Harry and Meghan were holding hands as they walked out of the church.
Why oh why can they not just give respect to this dear lady?

The hand holding was cringey wasn’t it

They were, it looked very inappropriate

@girlmom21 of course this funeral will be triggering for them. The passing of their mother was a very traumatic event and trauma like that stays with you. The passing of time eases the pain for sure but there are sounds, sights and smells that will always take you back and that walk will be exceptionally tough for them

I will never understand British people who think holding hands with your husband when his grandmother has died, is inappropriate. No wonder some other cultures, including mine, see the traditional British person as cold.