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TL;DR: 

  • Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey.
  • Royal children typically don’t go to funerals.
  • However, that could change if Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, as well as those of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, attend.
  • Following Queen Elizabeth’s death, Kate Middleton shared how Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are coping.

Children to change royal family tradition? Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, along with those of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, may do just that. How? By simply attending Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Ahead, find out what commentators have to say about the likelihood of royal children being on the guest list. Plus, how Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have been coping. 

Royal tradition of children skipping funerals may change with Queen Elizabeth

Buckingham Palace hasn’t released a list of some 2,000 guests who will fill London’s Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19 for Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral service. Heads of state, dignitaries, and members of various European royal families are expected to descend upon the city. 

However, whether or not the queen’s great-grandchildren will be there is unclear. Specifically, William and Kate’s children; George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Louis, 4. The same can be said for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children; Archie, 3, and Lili, 1. 

“When it comes to the royals, young children have not traditionally attended royal funerals in the past,” Tiffany Norris, founder of The Mummy Concierge, told the U.K.’s Express. “But this doesn’t mean that won’t change,” Norris, who has worked with the royal family, added. 

Archie and Lilibet unlikely to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, commentator says

Harry and Meghan probably won’t be joined by their children, according to To Di For Daily podcast host Kinsey Schofield. “I don’t think they’d attend the funeral, no, but it would be nice to have them around to see the family members,” she said on GB News.

“I think it would be important to King Charles to have all his grandchildren there,” she added. 

Ultimately, whether it’s Harry and Meghan’s children or William and Kate’s, there’s “no hard and fast rule,” according to Norris. 

“It depends completely on whose funeral it is, what the child is like (will it upset them more to attend), and what decision their parent feels is best for both the funeral and the child,” she explained. 

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte don’t reportedly understand losing Queen Elizabeth and much as Prince George

Kate Middleton and Prince William, whose children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis may change royal tradition with Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor by attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral, stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
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Prince William and Kate Middleton Reportedly Holding off on Windsor Castle Move to Avoid ‘Disruption’ for Children

Since the queen’s death at 96 on Sept. 8, Kate’s opened up about how her and William’s children have been handling the loss. Roya Nikkhah, the U.K.’s Sunday Times royal editor, tweeted that Kate shared how they’ve been dealing during a visit to Sandringham House. 

“The Princess of Wales told a well-wisher that Prince George understands the loss of their great-grandmother, but Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis less so,” Nikkhah tweeted.

Previously, in a TikTok video, Kate revealed what Louis told her following the queen’s death. 

“My little Louis, he’s so sweet,” she began. “He said: ‘Mommy don’t worry because she’s now with great-grandpa.'”

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. It will begin at 11 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m ET. 

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