Prince William: Walking behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin 'brought back memories' of mom Diana's funeral
The prince said the procession "brought back a few memories," referring to his walk behind the coffin of his late mother, Diana. "It's one of these moments where you kinda think to yourself I've prepared myself for this but I'm not that prepared. It's this weird kind of thing... Because we knew she was 96," Prince William was heard saying.
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FollowPrince William, Britain's new Prince of Wales, spoke of the "challenging" walk behind his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's coffin as he met crowds of well-wishers gathered at the royal Sandringham Estate in eastern England. Prince William was observing the floral tributes left for the late monarch since her passing in Scotland last Thursday while out on a stroll with his wife, Kate, Princess of Wales.
The prince said the procession on Wednesday from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the Queen is currently lying in state, "brought back a few memories," referring to his walk behind the coffin of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, as a teenager 25 years ago.
William was overheard saying to a gathering of mourners, "Doing the walk yesterday was tough, it brought back a few memories."
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"It's one of these moments where you kinda think to yourself I've prepared myself for this but I'm not that prepared. It's this weird kind of thing... Because we knew she was 96," he said.
Thousands of people have been gathering at royal estates around the UK, including the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Sandringham House has been a royal residence for more than 150 years and has traditionally been where the Queen spent her Christmas break.
Over the weekend, William and Kate joined his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle for a similar walkabout at Windsor Castle, the first time the foursome united since reports of a family rift.
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Mourners from all walks of life queued to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday as she lay in state in London’s ancient Westminster Hall, paying their final respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch before her funeral on Monday. She died last Thursday in Balmoral Castle, her Scottish summer home, at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne.
Her coffin now lies in the centre of Westminster Hall on a purple catafalque placed on a red platform. It was covered by the Royal Standard flag and topped with the Imperial State Crown placed on a cushion, alongside a wreath of flowers.
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