Prince Philip Did This For Prince William After Princess Diana’s Shocking Death
Prince William was only 15 years old when his mother, Princess Diana, tragically passed away in 1997. William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, understandably had a difficult time attending their mom’s funeral, though Prince Philip’s heartfelt gesture helped them both get through the emotional ceremony in one piece.
Shortly after Diana’s accident, the royal family acted fast and flew the brothers, along with Prince Charles, back to London. The boys had less than a week to prepare for the funeral and were not expected to make an appearance.
Prince Philip comes to Prince William’s aid
Most people were surprised when William and Harry decided to attend Diana’s funeral, which took place only a week following her car accident in Paris. The boys walked behind their beloved mother’s casket, though they almost opted out of the ceremony altogether.
In the documentary, royal expert Jennie Bond claims that William was unsure if he could go through with the funeral, which prompted a touching move on Philip’s behalf.
According to Express, Philip told the teenager that he would walk alongside him if it helped alleviate any concerns. Prince William was allegedly moved by the gesture and decided he was strong enough to attend the ceremony.
When it came time for the somber procession, people around the world watched Philip, Prince Charles, William, and Harry walked behind Diana’s casket in what was a moment of love and solidarity for the family – and it would not have happened without Philip’s help.
“When the day of the funeral came, I think William was still uncertain as to whether he would agree to walk behind his mother’s coffin,” Bond shared. “Grandfather Prince Phillip said: ‘If I walk, will you?’”
Inside Diana’s funeral
Philip’s move was surprising because his relationship with Diana had gone south shortly before her death. Fans were also shocked to see Charles in the procession, given how their marriage ended in divorce a few years earlier. Diana’s coffin was escorted through Hyde Park and taken to St. James’ Palace, where it stayed for several days before returning to Kensington Palace.
The funeral was watched by over 32 million people around the world. The cameras got an up-close view of the coffin, including the letter that was placed on top that read, “mummy.”
Diana died from injuries sustained in a car crash on the streets of Paris in 1997. Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed was riding in the car with her at the time and also perished in the accident. Harry was only 14 years old at the time of his mom’s tragic passing.
In 2017, Prince William and Prince Harry took part in a documentary that was made in honor of the 20th anniversary of Diana’s premature death. The royal family has not commented on the reports surrounding Philip’s actions during the funeral.
Prince Harry enjoys another royal wedding
Amid the release of the new documentary, Harry recently attended the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston. The ceremony took place one day before Harry’s first anniversary with Meghan Markle, who did not make an appearance at the wedding.
Markle could not make it to the event because she is currently taking care of her baby son, Archie, who is only a few weeks old. Harry and Markle welcomed their first child on May 6 and confirmed the exciting news on social media. Although Harry was flying solo at the wedding, he looked more than happy to support another member of the family.
Harry, of course, was not the only royal in attendance at the lavish ceremony. Queen Elizabeth, Philip, Princess Anne, and Princess Beatrice, also showed up for the festivities. Harry was caught exchanging some pleasantries with his grandparents and even managed to squeeze a few smiles out of Philip.
As far as Her Majesty is concerned, we image they chatted about Archie and how Markle is getting along as a new mother. Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, could not make it to the wedding because of a previous engagement.
William is the President of the Football Association and was scheduled to make an appearance at the FA Cup Final the same day as the wedding. Prince William and Prince Harry have not commented on the new documentary.
