Prince William Says Procession Yesterday Was "Difficult" and Reminded Him of Princess Diana's Funeral

Prince William had a difficult time yesterday following his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's coffin, he shared with well-wishers gathered at Sandringham today. The new Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Norfolk this morning to view floral tributes left at the gates—it was their first solo outing since King Charles bestowed upon them their new titles.

"He said how difficult it was yesterday and how it reminded him of his mum's funeral," Jane Wells, who was in the crowd, told The Telegraph. "Catherine said it's just been such a difficult time for all of them, for the whole family."

Another crowd member told Prince William that she was close to tears, to which William replied, "Don't cry now—you'll start me."

The procession behind Queen Elizabeth’s coffin.

Yesterday, members of the royal family—the Queen's children King Charles, Princess Anne, and Princes Andrew and Edward; three of the Queen's grandsons Prince William, Prince Harry, and Peter Phillips; Anne's husband Sir Timothy Laurence; the Queen's cousin Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester; and the Queen's nephew David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon—all walked behind the Queen's coffin in a solemn procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.

The procession behind Princess Diana’s coffin at her funeral.

During Princess Diana's funeral, Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind their mother's coffin, along with Prince Charles, their uncle Earl Spencer, and their grandfather Prince Philip.

Harry later shared that walking behind his mother's coffin that day was traumatic. "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," the Duke of Sussex said. "I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today."

During Queen Elizabeth's funeral, there will be three more processions by members of the royal family: from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral; from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, where the coffin will be transferred to a hearse to travel from Windsor; and in Windsor, on the final journey to St George’s Chapel.

Emily Burack

Senior News Editor

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.