William, Prince of Wales and Harry, Duke of Sussex walk side by side behind Queen's coffin
Royal brothers Prince William and Prince Harry were side by side as they walked behind the coffin of their grandmother following the Queen's final journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will Lie in State.
They walked behind their father, King Charles and his siblings, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex as the 38-minute ceremonial procession filed slowly down The Mall lined with members of the public hoping to say a final goodbye.
In April 2021, Prince Harry and Prince William joined their father when they walked behind the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin at his funeral.
But the brothers were separated on that occasion by their cousin Peter Phillips who dropped back half a pace at one point so the siblings appeared closer together.
The Duke of Sussex was not wearing military uniform as he walked in lockstep with his family, in line with a statement released earlier this week.
A spokesperson told ITV News "his decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
Prince Harry was stripped of his military titles in 2020, after he and wife Meghan Markle announced their decision to step down from senior working royal duties.
In the days after Her Majesty's death, the Prince of Wales and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex greeted mourners and viewed floral tributes to the late Queen at Windsor Castle.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in the same vehicle and greeted well-wishers for around 40 minutes before William hopped into the driver’s seat of the Audi with his wife in the passenger seat, and his brother and sister-in-law in the back.
The surprise joint appearance comes amid reports of a rift between the two brothers after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to stand down as senior working members of the royal family to start a new life in California.
In his televised address to the nation on Friday evening, the King talked of his love for Harry and Meghan, saying: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”The sight of the brothers walking behind the Queen's coffin echoed images from the funeral of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The princes, then aged 12 and 15, walked alongside their father, King Charles, and their uncle, Earl Spencer as the cortège walked from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.
After the Queen's death on Thursday aged 96, the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex spoke of their love and respect for "granny".
The Prince of Wales said it would be “some time” before his grandmother's loss “will truly feel real”.
He added that his children would have “memories that will last their whole lives” from their time spent with the Queen, adding he would “honour her memory” through supporting his father, the King.
Speaking directly to his grandmother Prince Harry revealed the Queen had met his children a few months before her death, and he talked of “honouring my father in his new role as King Charles III” – perhaps a move to bridge the gap in their troubled relationship.
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He wrote: “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings-from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between.”
The last time King Charles and his two sons were all seen together in public was at the service of thanksgiving for the Queen in St Paul’s Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
But on that occasion, Prince Harry and Meghan were seated some distance from the King and Prince William on the other side of the aisle in the second row, behind the Wessex family and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The walkabout was the Sussexes' first public appearance alongside the Windsors since they stepped down as senior royals in 2020 amid the Megxit storm.