Queen Elizabeth’s Cousin Defends Choice Not to Return to London Right After Princess Diana’s Death, and She’s Not the Only One
The day the news broke that Princess Diana died following a car crash in Paris, thousands of mourners in and around London took to the streets. Crowds gathered in front of Kensington Palace where the princess lived and in front of Queen Elizabeth II‘s Buckingham Palace. But there was no sign of the queen because she was at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Diana’s sons, William and Harry, and their father Prince Charles.
Many believed the royals would return home that same day or early the next but that was not the case and they were heavily criticized for staying in Scotland as long as they did. The queen’s cousin later defended the decision that angered the British public and so did one of the people Diana loved the most.
The royal family returned to London on the eve of Princess Diana’s funeral
Other than a brief statement that the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, were “shocked and distressed by the news” there was nothing but silence from the family as they remained in the Highlands for several days.
While London continued to erupt in grief, it was reported that the Firm was carrying on business as usual and even took Prince William and Prince Harry to church the morning their mother died. That action was viewed as cold and really rubbed people the wrong way.
The cries for the monarch to return to England and address what had happened grew louder. Five days later, she and Prince Philip pulled up to Buckingham Palace and saw the outpouring of emotions and Diana’s growing memorial for themselves.
Queen’s cousin defends decision not to return, Prince William weighs in
The queen’s choice for the family to remain in Scotland was made because she believed that was best for William and Harry. She instructed her staff to remove all TVs and radios from the castle so that the princes would not have to hear and see everything that was being reported about their mom and her death.
The royal family matriarch’s cousin Margaret Rhodes defended those decisions and opined that not returning to England right away was good grandparenting telling CNN: “She was being a proper granny. What was the point of bringing the boys down to sit in London with nothing to do but sit there feeling sad about mum? Personally, I think I would have behaved in the same way.”
Prince William understood his grandmom’s position as well and said she was “protecting” him and Harry. “At the time, you know, my grandmother wanted to protect her two grandsons, and my father as well,” William explained in the documentary Diana 7 Days. “Our grandmother deliberately removed the newspapers, and things like that, so there was nothing in the house at all.”
He added: “She felt very torn between being the grandmother to William and Harry, and her queen role. And I think she–everyone–was surprised and taken aback by the scale of what happened and the nature of how quickly it all happened.”
Queen Elizabeth said she ‘admired’ Diana and bowed to her coffin
Upon the royal family’s return to London, Queen Elizabeth finally did what the nation had been waiting for and gave a televised speech about Diana’s death.
The queen said she “admired and respected” Diana “especially for her devotion to her two boys.” She then added: “This week at Balmoral, we have all been trying to help William and Harry come to terms with the devastating loss that they and the rest of us have suffered.”
The next day during Diana’s funeral, the monarch did something that surprised many. On that September morning, while millions around the globe watched, the queen bowed her head as the coffin carrying the body of her former daughter-in-law passed by.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022, 25 years after Princess Diana’s death.
