After Princess Diana’s death, both her sons had a tough time ahead. Prince Harry later shared little-known details from his mother’s funeral after she died on August 31. Her coffin procession took place a week later, so everyone could pay their respects, and who can forget the largest floral memorial for her?
At that time, Prince Harry was just 12, and the tragedy fell upon him and his brother to walk beside her coffin. But as ‘the spare,’ he wasn’t originally expected to walk behind the coffin. Despite her divorce and royal exile, her coffin was draped according to tradition and protocol.
This left Prince Harry with several questions, such as “Did this mean she was forgiven? By Granny?” He could not have asked them, but they troubled his mind. At that time, expecting her sons to walk behind was controversial for the family and relatives.
The alternative was to let only the elder one walk behind and ‘spare the spare.’ However, the solution was to let both princes be behind the coffin. This made Uncle Charles angry, but Harry did not want Willy(Prince William) to go alone without him.
Born in a family who pride in their stiff upper lip& a “ dignified silence ” as a form of control.A family that put a 12 yr old Harry to walk behind his dead mother’s casket “to reassure the country ”while having no one to reassure him is shocked that,that same boy has changed? pic.twitter.com/fueNZ73ZmI
— Claire (@claireXanda) September 15, 2024
He states, ‘Had the roles been reversed, he’d never have wanted me — indeed, allowed me — to go it alone.’ On the funeral day, five men were behind the coffin with Prince Philip looking calm as if it was just a royal engagement.
At that time, Prince Harry kept his mind on the road just like big brother Willy. He also remembered being numb while clenching his fist. Given how young he was, his mother’s tragic death was a shocking event. It explains how he’s felt.
I don’t think a parent loves one child more than the other, but they can share a deeper connection. Diana knew Harry was ‘the Spare’ and what that meant for his future. She wanted to protect him and when she died, her legacy went directly to him. He’s the true heir to her legacy. pic.twitter.com/T1ZUQ1M3pi
— the blue (@thebluestshade) February 1, 2025
He stated, “I remember keeping a fraction of Willy always in the corner of my vision and drawing loads of strength from that.” He remembers how the procession went, and there was only the sound of the carriage. Apart from that, there were no birds, lorry, or engine sounds. Not even a single human voice, which is impossible since people were lined on the roads.
Back then, the two brothers leaned on each other. Now, deep differences have driven their families apart. Many believe that if their mother were alive, she would have made peace between them, and their lives might look very different today.
