Why Prince Harry and Prince William Won't Walk Together at Prince Philip's Funeral
Prince Harry and Prince William will not walk side by side at the funeral of their grandfather, Queen Elizabeth II's late husband Prince Philip, which is scheduled for April 17 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The brothers will join family members in walking behind their grandfather's coffin, however, Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne and Prince Harry and Prince William's cousin, is slated to walk between them. For the second procession into the chapel, Prince William will walk with Peter with Prince Harry behind them. Next to Prince Harry will be David Armstrong-Jones, the son of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones.
The news comes just over a month after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle gave an explosive tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey about their relationship with the royal family. The couple, who officially exited their roles with the royal family last year, alleged that the family did not support Meghan when she asked for help with her mental health, refused to provide security for them and their son Archie and questioned how "dark" Archie's skin color would be before his birth.
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However, Buckingham Palace has made it clear that the funeral procession order has nothing to do with the current tensions within the family.
"This is a funeral and we are not going to be drawn into perceptions of drama," a statement from Buckingham Palace read. "The arrangements have been agreed and represent Her Majesty's wishes."
While her husband has flown from their home in California to be with his family in the U.K. during their time of grief, Meghan—who is pregnant with the pair's next child, a baby girl—was advised by her doctor not to fly and will not be attending the ceremony.
A source close to Meghan said that she wishes she could be there to support Prince Harry, as the two "are still not on amazing terms with the family."
The insider added, "Harry wants to make sure Meghan and the baby are healthy and not involved in stressful situations."