“Leading” implies a sense of hierarchy or ceremonial structure — the kind we typically see in royal processions, where family members enter in strict order of precedence. But that clearly wasn’t the case here.
After Andrew, Sarah, and Tim Lawrence, the next to arrive were Anne, Zara, and Mike — not Beatrice and Eugenie, who (if this were about protocol) would logically have followed their father. The order was clearly informal.
What actually happened is that Andrew walked in first, and the rest of the family followed in a casual, unstructured way. Sarah seemed to be walking and chatting with Tim Lawrence for most of the approach, and Andrew, characteristically, just strode ahead. That’s not “leading the family” — that’s Andrew being Andrew.
The tabloids, of course, spun it into something more dramatic because it generates clicks. But the footage doesn’t support the idea of a formal procession or ceremonial role.