Prince William Tells Mourner That Walking Behind the Queen’s Coffin Reminded Him of Mother Princess Diana’s Funeral

Prince William, King Charles III, Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty)

published 17 September 2022

In a scene eerily reminiscent of one taking place nearly 25 years to the day prior, Prince William, Prince Harry, and now, King Charles III walked in a procession behind a coffin through the streets of London as mourners gathered around them.

The date this time? Wednesday, September 14, 2022, six days after the Queen’s death at 96. It seems simultaneously like a moment ago and a lifetime ago when that trio—plus Prince Philip, who died in 2021, and Charles Spencer, younger brother of Princess Diana—walked behind Diana’s coffin on September 6, 1997.

The coffin procession this week from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall reminded William of that awful walk for his mother a quarter-century ago, which he said in a 2017 BBC documentary “was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, that walk. It felt like she [Diana] was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.” That procession took the group of five from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. Just as the Queen’s was, Diana’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard and crowned in white flowers, PEOPLE reports.

In 1997, William was just 15; he’s now 40 and a married father of three. While speaking to mourners for about 45 minutes at Sandringham House on Thursday, one attendee says William spoke of “how difficult it was yesterday, and how it reminded him of his mum’s funeral,” says mourner Jane Wells, per The Telegraph. “Catherine said it’s just been such a difficult time for all of them, for the whole family.”

At that same walkabout in Sandringham, a mourner told William she was near tears.

“Don’t cry now,” the future king told her, according to The Telegraph. “You’ll start me.”

Mourner Sharon Clouting says of her encounter with the newly minted Prince of Wales “you can tell William is his mother’s son. He was chatting so easily and very sincere.”

Bex Neeve says “William said he thinks Monday will be hard,” referring to the Queen’s funeral that day. “Kate said it’s been overwhelming, and she and William are very grateful for everyone being here. She was emotional. They seemed like they were here to soak up all the love.”

William will take part in more processions Monday, three to be exact: as the Queen's coffin moves from Westminster Hall into Westminster Abbey; a one-and-a-half-mile procession across London to the Wellington Arch; and, finally, to Windsor Castle, where Her Majesty will be laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.