Prince William and Prince Harry will not be walking side by side during their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral Saturday, the royal family has confirmed.
The siblings’ cousin Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne, will walk between them during the funeral’s entry procession into St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, a statement from Buckingham Palace said.
During a second procession, William, 38, and Peter, 43, will walk shoulder to shoulder, followed by Harry, 36, and David Armstrong-Jones, 59, the son of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones.
Once inside the chapel, they won’t be getting much closer, as attendees will be seated six feet apart, as per COVID-19 guidelines.
The procession order was “a practical change rather than sending a signal,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
“This is a funeral and we are not going to be drawn into perceptions of drama. The arrangements have been agreed and represent Her Majesty’s wishes,” the spokesperson said.
Only 30 close friends and family members will be allowed to enter the chapel for the Duke of Edinburgh’s royal ceremonial funeral. The public has also been advised to “stay away” from the grounds and offer online condolences instead, the Independent reports.
Insiders say there is hope that the brothers’ shared grief will help them repair their once-close bond and finally discuss their falling-out.
“Both are fully aware of their shared history and will no doubt remember what impact their grandfather had on their life growing up,” a royal source told the Mirror last week.
“There is hope under an occasion such as this, where the brothers are united in grief, that a corner may be turned.”
It would be fitting because Philip was “dismayed” at his grandsons’ falling-out and tried to reunite them, the paper’s source went on to claim.
Philip “urged them both to put to rest their differences, and not only remember their bond but also be mindful of their duty to the Queen and the country,” the Mirror’s source added.
