The Queen’s eight grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry, conduct a vigil in Westminster Hall
The Queen’s eight grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry, have conducted a vigil for the Queen in Westminster Hall.
The Queen’s eight grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry, have conducted a vigil for the Queen in Westminster Hall.
Dressed in full military uniform the two brothers stood with heads bowed for 15 minutes to guard their grandmother’s coffin, a day after the Queen’s four children held their own vigil.
Members of the public, who had been waiting up to 24 hours to pay their respects to the Queen, entered the hall to see the heir to the Throne and Prince Harry standing next to the coffin.
A solemn Prince William stood at the head of the coffin while Prince Harry stood at the foot of the coffin. Neither moved or betrayed any emotion during the vigil.
They were joined by the Queen’s other six grandchildren Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
The Queen’s son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie looked on during the vigil.
Prince Harry was wearing his military uniform after his father King Chalres granted him permission to don it on this occasion.
Prince Harry has not been allowed to wear his uniform since he resigned as a working royal in 2020. During the procession of the Queen from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall this week, Prince Harry wore a suit rather than a uniform even though he served two tours in Afghanistan as part of the Army.
King Charles chose to make an exception for his son for the vigil of the Queen, although it has been described as a “one-off’’ decision rather than an official change of policy.
King Charles also allowed his disgraced brother Prince Andrew to wear his uniform during the vigil of the Queen’s children the previous day.
Prince Andrew has had his military titles stripped from him because of his links with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The vigil comes amid ongoing tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry which show no outward signs of being resolved during their appearances together in this mourning period.
Prince William and his wife Kate appeared together with Prince Harry and wife Meghan at Windsor last week to talk with members of the public but it was a last minute decision by Prince William to invite his brother to join them.
The British press cited royal sources as saying that the Windsor appearance was just a “temporary truce’’ and “a single act of compassion due to extraordinary circumstances’’.
The two brothers also marched side by side behind the Queen’s coffin during her journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
They will do so again during the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
Prince Harry and Meghan are also said to be upset by the King’s decision that their children will not be granted the status of HRH, although they will be known as prince and princess. Prince William consulted with his father on that decision.
Neither Prince Harry nor Meghan are expected to attend the lavish reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday for the 500 foreign dignitaries and their partners who have come to London to attend the funeral. By contrast, Prime William and Kate will attend.
Out of respect for the Queen, Meghan has requested the postponement of a cover story for Variety Magazine which featured her on the cover.
Meghan was going to appear for the magazine’s ‘Power of Women’ issue featuring talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea and actress Elizabether Olsen among others.
Variety has agreed to delay the issue.
The release of Meghan’s podcast “Achetypes’’ was also delayed.
The release of Prince Harry’s memoir, which could further aggravate his relationship with his family, is also likely to be delayed by the Queen’s death.
Prince Harry and Meghan have continued to throw barbs at the royal family since last year’s infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the couple accused the royals of racism, disregard for their mental health, miserliness and bad parenting.
Just weeks ago, in a celebrity-style interview with the American magazine The Cut, Meghan claimed “it took a lot to forgive’’.
She said that ‘just by existing’ they were ‘upsetting the dynamic of the (royal) hierarchy”. She even claimed that Harry had “lost” his father in the process, although Meghan has since claimed she was talking about her own estranged father
In style and substance the Sussexes have moved ever further away from the royals, with Meghan pursuing podcasts, interviews with celebrity magazines and television deals.
The contract between the Sussexes and the royals has never felt wider than during this past week as the Queen is lauded around the world for her dedication to a life of modesty, service and sacrifice.
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