Prince Philip Walked Behind Princess Diana’s Coffin Alongside William & Harry — Inside His Decision

Apr 14, 2021

Prince Philip's death on April 9, 2021, has left the royal family, the United Kingdom and members around the world in deep mourning. The beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather has, in his seven decades of devoted service, set an incredible example of what it means to be a support to the crown and his wife, and leaves behind an enduring legacy for decades to come. His life will continue to be a beacon of inspiration for many. 

Since his passing, there have been many recollections about Prince Philip's life and decisions that have so far been shrouded under a private veil. The royal family has maintained a strong wall between what goes on in their private life and what is revealed to the public, but new revelations are showing a whole new side of Prince Philip, especially his role as a loving grandfather to Prince William and Prince Harry. 

One of the most tragic events that shook the world was the untimely death of Princess Diana, who continues to remain in people's hearts even today. The loss of their mother was especially devastating for William and Harry due to the nature of the loss as well as the media frenzy that came right after.

The photograph of two young boys walking at the funeral procession is haunting even today. The image also shows that Prince Philip walked along with his grandsons on that day, and new information has shown that the Duke of Edinburgh was indeed a devoted and loving grandfather throughout his life. 

New information reveals that the Duke of Edinburgh was very concerned about the emotional wellbeing of his young grandsons as preparations for Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 were taking place. While speaking to the UK's Evening Standard, Anji Hunter, a former government official recalled a conference call with Prince Philip in the days before the funeral. "We were all talking about how William and Harry should be involved and suddenly came Prince Philip’s voice," she said. "We hadn’t heard from him before, but he was really anguished. 'It’s about the boys,' he cried, 'They’ve lost their mother.'"

TODAY reported that at dinner the day before Prince Diana's funeral, Prince Philip told his grandsons, "I'll walk if you walk." This fact was fortified once more by Princess Anne's revelations during an interview with UK's ITV after her father's death. "I seem to remember them saying that, in fact, it was a question of, 'If you'll do it, I'll do it,'" Princess Anne said.

"That was him as a grandfather. ... 'If that's what you want to do and if you want me to be there, I will be there.'"

The next day, the funeral procession took place from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey in London, and Prince Philip joined 15-year-old William and 12-year-old Harry as they walked along with their father Prince Charles and Diana's brother Earl Spencer. The photographs from that day show that the family had come together during the most difficult times in their lives. BBC reported that in 2017, Prince Harry spoke about how his father was also there for them. 

"One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died," he said. "How you deal with that I don't know but, you know, he was there for us." While previously Harry had spoken out about the fact that walking during a funeral procession is something no 12-year-old child "should be asked to do," he ultimately said that he doesn't "have an opinion whether that was right or wrong", but added that "looking back on it", he is glad to have been part of the day, according to BBC. 

Prince William also revealed in the 2017 documentary “Diana: 7 Days That Shook the Windsors” that the decision to walk wasn't an easy one and that "it was a sort of collective family decision to do that ... there is that balance between duty and family and that's what we had to do."

About the balance, he elaborated that it was "between me being Prince William and having to do my bit, versus the private William who just wanted to go into a room and cry, who'd lost his mother." Moreover, he added that his long bangs were a sort of "safety blanket" during the ceremony.

"I felt if I looked at the floor and my hair came down over my face, no one could see me," he added. 

In light of this new information, the fact that Prince Philip chose to walk alongside his grandsons during the most difficult day of their lives speaks volumes about the kind of person he was. He will be deeply missed. 

Prince Philip was a truly loving grandfather. What are your favorite memories of Prince Philip? Tell us your thoughts about the late Duke of Edinburgh and be sure to pass this on to others who are following the funeral proceedings.