Feel sorry for Harry walking behind the Queens coffin

[FayeGovan]

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

In what way is this inappropriate or disrespectful?

It's not appropriate at a ceremonial event and in that setting. Did you see anyone else in the mourning party do it? These events are built on tradition, Harry would definitely have known better, if they didn't like it they could have bowed out.

The hand holding thing is tricky. I don't see it as a bad thing per se but it isn't generally considered appropriate at such events (although I'm not entirely sure why). I suspect there's a lot to do with the fact that it ruins the symmetry of the proceedings which are so precisely choreographed. But asides from that QEII would never have held hands with PP and I'm guessing she wouldn't have approved, so if I were Harry and Meghan I'd have tried not to just for her. But they did and the world is still turning...

People are being disingenuous if they can’t see the difference between burying granny at your local graveyard and ceremonial affairs surrounding the Queen’s death. They’re not personal or family events - they’re procedure and essentially part of their job, sad as it is. They can hold hands etc when they get back in the car. But at the moment they’re taking part in a ceremony which is dictated by tradition and protocol and fawning over each other isn’t part of that.

Not touching your husband to give him some comfort is inappropriate?
Honestly this is crazy. They are still human beings.

@Wouldloveanother They were not fawning over each other. They were holding hands.

Were you concerned about the video of Andrew and Eugenie? Or is that fine because it is not Harry and Meghan?

It's part of a very solemn, ultra choreographed traditional ceremony - they are not coming out of Cineworld. They could have waited till they got out of the building and it would have been fine - though I still think it a little disconcerting to see adults carrying out official engagements doing this. Perhaps they think it's fine as they are no longer working for the firm?
It didn't look respectful or appropriate to me, none of the others thought it was the right thing to do either at that point or in public.
This need for them to hold hands all the time is strange to me.

YES, Your point about the press deflecting is a good one.

More recently, I don't actually recall H and M implying that all of the British people were toxic and racist, during the OW interview. Harry certainly said the press was toxic. Anyone can correct me if I have it wrong, but I think the press deflected that one, too.

It is astonishing how the Queen was regarded in some quarters in that crazy week, and how she is regarded now. She wasn't thought a villain by everyone that week, but they would have been shouted down at the time.

Quite. It was completely inappropriate.

The feelings when a GP died are completely different from that of a parent. That said, there were still a lot of memories and a lot of pain when my GPs died. I can well imagine both men are finding this hard. Having like you lost a parent at a young age, I was shocked when the boys followed their mum. Unfortunately it was a bit damned if you do or don’t.

I would not want to be part of any family that thought it was inappropriate for my husband to hold my hand after my grandmother had died. I would have thought they were dicks for caring.

This. British ceremonial events are by tradition not touchy-feely. They just aren’t! You didn’t see Prince Philip and the Queen holding hands at the Queen Mother’s Lying in State. It would have seemed…odd. So did this.

Was your grandmother the Queen?

Philip and the Queen lived separately. I can't imagine the Queen being huggy with anyone. But they were of a different generation. Younger people are much more touchy.

@Wouldloveanother Do you not think they are also human beings?

Thank goodness William was the elder son. Empathetic and "normal" (well as normal as a royal is allowed to be) without all the emotional grandstanding of his brother.

I don't believe that a 15 year old child is any less vulnerable to the trauma of losing their mother in such distressing circumstances than a 12 year old. If your children are young it may seem that teens are practically grown up, once you've parented through to adulthood you understand how much they still need you.

William has spoken quite a lot about the way his job (air ambulance) & previous trauma impacted his mental health - just not on Oprah!

Obviously having two incredibly high profile, dysfunctional, warring parents can't have helped either. Parentification is a crappy thing to do to a child - often it sucks being eldest.

@oldtableleg My children are 14 and 16. Losing your mother at 16 is traumatic.
But at 15 you can take decisions that a 12 year old really is not capable of taking. It is because of the age of my children that I recognise the difference between a 12 and 15 year old child.

I agree that the Royal Family is part of that old tradition where the only public emotion allowed is some laughter and anger. Any other emotion is forbidden in public. It is most peculiar.

FGS...

oldtableleg

I don't believe that a 15 year old child is any less vulnerable to the trauma of losing their mother in such distressing circumstances than a 12 year old

I agree.
I also think this is why a PP pointed out their age difference in months - it's just over two years. There's eighteen months between my - now adult - daughters. I think they would have felt things very similarly at those ages.

And if protocol is so important, why is Andrew going to be wearing his military uniform? He is not a working royal.

I always thought that Prince Charles insisted that Diana had a Royal funeral even although they were divorced. He also insisted her coffin was draped in the Royal Standard.
As far as I remember this was from when he travelled to Paris to bring her home. He argued with the Queen who thought that as Diana was no longer royal, she should have a private funeral. Charles stuck to his guns and insisted on a Royal funeral (not a state funeral) so it was nothing to do with what the public wanted.

You are wrong. It was going to be a private family funeral until the public and Diana's brother objected.

The pain and thoughts are etched over Harry's face.

It's amazing that he is doing this. However, it may turn out to be cathartic because it's going to be slightly removing that memory of his mom's "march"..
To be honest Harry is stand out among that bunch and one reason is because he's not in military uniform..

I thought Megan looked absolutely stunning today..I can't imagine how awkward she feels! The irony that they were not going to see any royals and now they are in the heart of it.

The chiming of the bells!