A change in the Queen's coffin procession meant Prince William and Prince Harry walked together, according to national reports. It came after the Queen's 'favourite grandson' took a side step for the brothers to stand shoulder to shoulder.
The pair were seen following the coffin as it made its way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. At Prince Philip's funeral last year, the brothers were separated by their cousin Peter Phillips.
The Daily Record reports Princess Anne's son walked between Prince William and Prince Harry at the funeral in April 2021. During the procession to the Abbey on Wednesday (September 14), Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and King Charles walked directly behind the Queen's coffin.
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The pace and route have been carefully mapped out to allow the procession to reach Westminster Hall at precisely 3pm, the Mirror reports. The order of the procession marks a change from the cortege walking behind Prince Philip's coffin last April, when Prince William reportedly asked for Peter Phillips to act as a human buffer walking between him and Harry.
The Duke of Edinburgh's death came at a time of upheaval for the royal family, shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made accusations of racism and a lack of support against their family in their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.
The grandchildren were subsequently separated by Peter, the son of Princess Anne as they walked behind the coffin at Windsor Castle during Philip's funeral procession. An insider has also claimed that Peter was chosen by the Queen to "act as mediator" on the day. Ahead of the funeral, Peter was seen hanging back slightly allowing Harry and William to walk at the same pace.
Peter, the Queen's eldest grandchild, keeps a low profile compared to his cousins Prince William and Prince Harry. He is the first grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip - and royal insiders claim he is the monarch's "favourite" grandson.
The 43-year-old and his sister Zara have never held HRH status. The trio also walked together behind the Queen Mother's coffin at her funeral, in the same order they walked in on Wednesday afternoon.
Silence fell among the thousands-strong crowd as a muffled drum draped in black was beaten at 75 paces per minute. King Charles, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex appeared solemn as they walked behind the coffin.
The royals moved in time to the imposing funeral marches, in step with one another and the troops. William stared straight ahead as he processed directly behind his father the King, in keeping with his place as the new heir to the throne.
Princes Harry and William have a well-documented troubled relationship but the death of their grandmother saw them unexpectedly come together when they viewed floral tributes left to the late Queen at Windsor Castle. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan arrived in the same vehicle and greeted well-wishers for around 40 minutes before the new Prince of Wales hopped into the driver's seat of the Audi with his wife in the passenger seat, and his brother and sister-in-law in the back.
In his televised address to the nation on Friday evening, the King talked of his love for Harry and Meghan, saying: "I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas." Then in Harry's tribute to his grandmother, released on Monday, Harry said he wanted to honour his father at the start of his reign as King.
The last time Charles and his two sons were all seen together in public was at the service of thanksgiving for the Queen in St Paul's Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. But on that occasion, Harry and Meghan were seated some distance from Charles and William on the other side of the aisle in the second row, behind the Wessex family and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
This was Harry and Meghan's first public appearance alongside the Windsors since they stepped down as senior royals in 2020 amid the Megxit storm.
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