Princess Charlotte appeared emotional after watching Queen Elizabeth II's funeral service Monday alongside her eldest brother, Prince George.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's two eldest children were a late addition to the Westminster Abbey service and were confirmed by the palace only when the order of service was released the night before.
Charlotte, 7, and George, 9, were originally going to walk behind their parents and in front of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but when their father arrived from a procession on foot, the plan changed. Future king George, who is second in line to the throne, and his sister instead walked in between the new Prince and Princess of Wales, in a row of four behind the queen's children.
At one stage, Kate was seen placing a comforting hand on Princess Charlotte's back.
Her youngest brother, Prince Louis, 4, stayed at home for the somber occasion. William and Kate decided he was too young to handle the intense emotion of the service, in which a lone bagpipe player captured the historic moment's sadness.
Charlotte was not the only young royal to struggle. Sophie, the Countess of Wessex was seen putting a reassuring arm around George's shoulders. And Markle had a tear on her left cheek outside the abbey, where the royal wives watched their husbands set off on the longer of the royal processions to Hyde Park.
King Charles III led blood family members, including Elizabeth's other children—Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne.
Princes William and Harry walked side by side, though the Duke of Sussex was in a morning suit rather than a military uniform because he is not a working royal.
From Wellington Arch in Hyde Park, the queen's coffin was taken by hearse to Windsor Castle on a long and slow journey before a further procession took it down the Long Walk outside the royal residence, where Elizabeth spent much of the pandemic.
The queen's dogs and her horse were brought as their owner was taken into the same church, St. George's Chapel, where her husband was buried in April 2021.
Elizabeth's parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, were also buried there. After a committal service, the queen will be laid to rest next to her husband.
While world leaders were key figures at the London funeral service, at Windsor Castle attention turned to the monarchy itself. Members of the queen's staff were among the 800 people at her committal service. Representatives of countries that count the queen as their head of state, known as Commonwealth realms, also took part.
On September 10, Prince William said in his tribute: "So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign. I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had 20 years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
He continued: "She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
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