Princes Guillermo and Enrique will not walk side by side in their grandfather’s funeral procession on Saturday ahead of his funeral, eliminating the chance of rare moments between siblings who have experienced tensions in their relationship since Enrique made the decision to take on your royal duties for to be entered last decreases. year.
Buckingham Palace on Thursday released a general guide to the funeral schedule 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 will walk among the princes as they escort the chest to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, west London.
Prince Charles, heir to the throne and father of princes, will lead the 15-headed procession along with his sister Princess Anne.
The siblings have been closely watched as Saturday’s funeral will likely recall how they shared their grief at their mother Princess Diana’s royal funeral in 1997. As minors, the two walked together behind the Princess’s casket in London. at a ceremony that was seen around the world.
Palace authorities declined to comment when asked whether the positions Harry and William will hold were an attempt to minimize the family tensions that escalated after Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave an explosive interview. To Oprah Winfrey in which she implied that an undisclosed member of the royal family was making a racist remark against Enrique prior to 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 get carried away by such perceptions of drama or anything like that,” said a palace spokesman speaking on the condition of anonymity, according to the institution’s policy. “This is a funeral and the arrangements have been made and represent Her Majesty’s wishes.”
In another effort to preserve the family’s unity, the palace said the most prominent members of the royal family will wear civilian clothes for the funeral. The decision, approved by the queen, means that Enrique does not risk being the only member of the royal family not to wear a uniform at the funeral.
Members of the Royal Family often wear uniforms at public events for their role of honor within the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, but Henry lost his military honorary titles when he decided to step down from his royal duties last year. As a result, the protocol suggests that Enrique, an army veteran who has served in Afghanistan twice, only wears a suit of medals when performing royal duties.
The decision also avoids another potential controversy after reports that Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second son, was considering wearing an admiral’s uniform for his father’s funeral. Andrés retains his military titles, even though he was forced to resign from his royal duties after a disastrous BBC interview about his friendship with late sex trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Attendance at the funeral is limited to 30 people due to the limitations of the coronavirus in England. The list will include several family members of Philips from Germany, along with direct members of the royal family. Children in the family will not be present.
Guests will wear face masks in the chapel and maintain social distance. The queen, who always sets the example first, wears a mask.
In other details known about the funeral, Royal Navy cornets will interpret “Action Stations,” an alarm that warns sailors to prepare for combat.
Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Royal Army for 12 years and was closely associated with the armed forces throughout his life. Military personnel will play a big part in honoring him on Saturday, despite the limited turnout.
Members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and British Army participate in the funeral procession. Felipe’s chest will be transported from St. George’s Chapel in a specially modified Land Rover bus designed by him.