Queen Orders For Prince Harry And Prince William To Be Separated Behind Philip's Coffin

Apr 16, 2021

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II for more than seven decades, died on April 9 this year, just two months shy of his 100th birthday. The Duke of Edinburgh was the oldest living male member of the British royal family and third longest-living member overall after he surpassed the late Princess Alice of Albany, who died aged 97, in 2019. According to the BBC, Prince Philip's funeral will be taking place on April 17. Due to the ongoing health crisis, only 30 close members of the family will be in attendance.

Taking part in the procession will be Prince Harry, known as the Duke of Sussex before Megxit. The somber event will mark the first time Prince Harry has been back on English soil after stepping down from the duties of a senior royal just a year ago, Metro reported. Former-royal Harry arrived exactly two days after Philip's death, but he arrived alone. His wife Meghan Markle could not join him as the couple is expecting their second child soon. Due to Markle being heavily pregnant, she has been advised by doctors to not fly during this time. It is understood, however, that Markle had made every effort to join her husband until her doctors did not give her clearance as per the news outlet. 

Along with no one wearing military attire, many special requests have been made and traditions have been changed for this funeral. Also taking part in the ceremony is Harry's brother, Prince William. However, the two will not be walking next to each other during the funeral procession. Instead, the Queen has ordered that Prince William and Harry will be separated by cousin Peter Phillips.

Read onto learn more about the Queen's decision to separate the two brothers during the funeral.

While the public won’t be able to take in a procession — and while fewer guests are permitted to attend the ceremony in person — major news outlets like Sky News will televise the funeral.

According to Sky News’ preliminary information regarding funeral plans, the ceremony will start at 2:30 p.m. (BST) at Windsor Castle’s state entrance. The Dean of Windsor, the Lord Chamberlain and the first Battalion Grenadier Guards will accompany Philip’s coffin to the entrance, where it will be put onto a specially designed car. From there, the coffin will be transported to the nearby chapel.

The funeral service itself will begin at 3 p.m. after a national minute of silence. The Dean of Windsor and Archbishop of Canterbury will then receive the coffin. It is there, in the chapel, where only a select group of royal family members will be allowed to attend due to coronavirus regulations.

In light of Philip's death, Prime Minister Johnson has announced a period of national mourning leading up to the ceremony, according to Sky News.

Following Philip’s funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh will be buried at the Royal Vault of St. George’s Chapel until the queen’s death. Once the queen has passed on, they will both be buried at King George VI memorial chapel, according to Sky News.

Philip, Elizabeth's husband, died at age 99 on April 9, according to a Buckingham Palace announcement. Having been married to the queen for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch.

In Britain, flags around the country hung at half-mast that day in mourning of the royal family’s loss.

The Queen's request to have Prince William and Harry separated during the procession is not the first special request for this funeral. It has also been decided that no one will wear military uniform to the funeral — a royal tradition which is usually standard at funerals for members of The Royal Family. Because Prince Harry stepped down as a royal after Megxit, he was also stripped of all of his military titles, which would leave him the only attendee not in military attire. According to The Guardian, this decision for everyone to forgo the military attire tradition was made in order to not embarrass Prince Harry by being the only royal in commoner's clothing. Instead “members of the royal family will be wearing morning coat with medals or day dress. That’s to say members of the royal family will not be in military uniform...All arrangements have been signed off by Her Majesty.” a spokesperson said, according to The Guardian.

However, the request that everyone is talking about is the Queen's decision to have brothers Prince William and Harry separated by cousin Peter Phillips when walking with Prince Philip's coffin during the funeral procession. Prince Charles and Princess Anne will lead the family members walking behind Philip's coffin during an eight-minute-long procession from the castle to the chapel. Once inside the chapel, the coffin will be carried by Royal Marines and Prince William will walk ahead of his brother Harry, next to Peter Phillips. According to The Guardian, this particular decision was said to be made by the Queen, but unfortunately, it is not quieting gossip about a rift between the two brothers. Instead, the decision has people speculating even more. 

What do you think about the Queen's decision to separate the two brothers during the procession? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this on to others who are following the funeral proceedings.