Princes Guillermo and Enrique will not walk side by side on Saturday in their grandfather’s funeral procession before his funeral, minimizing the chances of rare moments between brothers who have experienced tensions in their relationship since Enrique made the decision to relinquish your royal duties. last time. year.
Buckingham Palace on Thursday launched a general guide to the funeral program for Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, who passed away last Friday at the age of 99. The palace revealed that William and Henry’s cousin, Peter Phillips, would walk among the princes while escorting the coffin to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, west London.
Prince Charles, heir to the throne and the prince’s father, along with his sister, Princess Anne, will lead the 15-member procession.
The brothers were closely watched, as Saturday’s funeral will most likely remind them of how they shared their grief at the royal funeral of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. As minors, the two walked together behind the princess’s coffin in London. in a ceremony that was seen around the world.
Palace officials declined to comment when asked if Harry and William’s positions are an effort to minimize family tensions, which intensified after Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave an explosive Oprah Winfrey interview in which they suggested that an undisclosed member of the royal family made a racist comment to Enrique before the birth of their son Archie.
Meghan, who is pregnant and lives in California with Harry, will not attend the funeral on the advice of her doctors.
“We will not allow ourselves to be carried away by such perceptions about drama or anything like that,” a palace spokesman said on condition of anonymity, following the institution’s policies. “This is a funeral and arrangements have been made and represent Her Majesty’s wishes.”
In another effort to preserve the unity of the family, the palace said that the most prominent members of the royal family will wear civilian clothes for the funeral. The decision, approved by the queen, means that Enrique will not risk being the only member of the royal family who does not wear a funeral uniform.
Members of the royal family often wear uniforms at public events for their honorary roles in the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, but Henry lost his honorary military titles when he decided to resign from his royal duties last year. As a result, the protocol suggests that Enrique, an army veteran who has served twice in Afghanistan, only wears a medal suit when performing royal duties.
The decision also avoids another possible controversy after it was reported that Prince Andrew, the queen’s second son, considered wearing the admiral’s uniform for his father’s funeral. Andrés retains his military titles, even though he was forced to resign from his royal duties following a disastrous interview with the BBC about his friendship with the late sex trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Attendance at the funeral will be limited to 30 people due to coronavirus restrictions in England. The list will include several relatives of Philip from Germany, along with immediate members of the royal family. Children in the family will not participate.
Guests will wear face masks inside the chapel and maintain their social distance. The queen, who is always the first to set the example, will wear a mask.
In other details that were known about the funeral, the royal navy’s horns will play “Action Stations,” an alarm that warns sailors to prepare for battle.
Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, served in the royal army for 12 years and had close ties to the armed forces all his life. Military personnel will play an important role in honoring him on Saturday, despite limited attendance.
Members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the British Army will attend the funeral procession. Felipe’s coffin will be transported from St. George’s Chapel in a specially adapted Land Rover van, which was designed by him.