Prince William Remembers Mother Princess Diana After Queen's Coffin Procession

Prince of Wales William and his wife Kate Middleton spoke with well-wishers outside Sandringham Estate, Norfolk on September 15. He informed the mourners that walking behind the coffin of his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth brought back memories of his mother Princess Diana’s funeral.

The Prince and Princess of Wales spent almost an hour chatting with crowds of mourners and viewed floral tributes outside Sandringham Estate. On Wednesday’s coffin procession, members of the royal family walked behind the Queen’s coffin.

The late Queen’s children, King Charles III, Princess Royal Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward along with her grandchildren Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind the coffin.

Prince William Remembers Princess Diana

Prince William spoke about the procession and told mourners, “The walk yesterday was challenging.” One of the mourners who met Prince William outside Sandringham Estate, Jane Wells said the Prince of Wales mentioned the procession was hard on him as it brought back memories of his mother’s funeral.

Another mourner told the grieving grandson that she was close to tears, to which he replied, “Don’t cry now, you’ll start me.”

25 years ago, on September 6, 1997, Prince William and Prince Harry, aged 15 and 12 respectively walked behind their mother Princess Diana’s coffin. They followed a route that began at Kensington Palace, their late mother’s London home to Westminster Abbey.

Prince William previously spoke about his mother’s funeral in the 2017 documentary, Diana, 7 Days. He said, “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, that walk. It felt like she was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.”

Prince William said that he had to find a balance between duty and family during his mother’s funeral. He added that he had to find a balance between being a Prince and “having to do my bit” and being William, a son who suddenly and tragically lost his mother and “just wanted to go into a room and cry”.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 and will be laid to rest in a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19.

Suggested Reading: Fairytale To Gothic Ghost Story: How Biopics Have Showed Princess Diana Over 40 Years