Heads bowed, grandchildren stand in solemn, silent tribute
IT BEGAN with three sharp, measured raps of a guard’s stick on the flagstones, echoing through Westminster Hall on the stroke of 6pm.
In arguably the most moving ceremony of an emotionally-charged week, the Queen’s eight grandchildren solemnly and slowly took their places around the coffin, the pain etched clearly on their faces.
Private grief met public duty as, united in mourning, they flanked the catafalque for the first vigil of its kind in British Royal history.
Leading the way was the Prince of Wales in his Blues and Royals No1 uniform, with his brother and cousins following down the stone staircase in perfect step.
King Charles had told the Duke of Sussex that he too should wear his uniform, a show of respect that must have been doubly painful, knowing this may be the last time he does so. Members of the public who had queued for hours to pay their respects paused momentarily to allow the family members to assume their positions around the coffin, which was draped in the Royal Standard and topped with the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre.
Prince William, 40, stood at the head of the coffin, his uniform adorned with the Garter Sash, the Garter Star, his jubilee medals and pilot wings. He was flanked on
Prince William clenched his jaw; Harry was motionless, lips pressed tight
either side by the Princess Royal’s children, Zara, 41, and her brother Peter, 44.
By the foot of the coffin stood Harry, who turned 38 on Thursday, joined on either side by the Duke of York’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice, 34, and Eugenie, 32. In the middle were the two youngest, the Earl of Wessex’s children Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and James, more formally known as Viscount Severn, just 14.
With their visors cast down over their faces, William and Harry at least had some protection from the cameras. Yet it would have been impossible to hide the raw emotions playing out on both their faces. William appeared to clench his jaw. Harry stood motionless, lips pressed together.
The grandchildren stood stock still in silent reflection, immoveable for 15 minutes and as stoic as their grief would allow.
Perhaps it helped that this was not the first time they had seen the coffin raised on the catafalque. They had all been present at the ceremony in the hall on Wednesday afternoon when the Queen’s body arrived for the lying-in-state. Then, during an intimate ceremony of hushed reverence, Lady Louise delicately pulled out a white handkerchief as she shed a tear.
Last night, the teenager, who has just enrolled at St Andrews University, appeared more composed, while her brother James looked studiously at the floor.
They were following in the footsteps of their father, who had performed the same duty the night before.
This time, however, to see such sorrow on youthful, often cheerful, faces seemed
to have a more profound effect. Respectful mourners filing past dared only glance up at the young Royals occasionally.
Inside the hall, the candles around the coffin burned brightly as the daylight outside began to fade away. In a gallery, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the parents of the youngest two, stood looking down on the scene.
Sophie, who had earlier that day smiled and chatted happily to crowds outside Buckingham Palace, now looked utterly exhausted. A tear rolled down her cheek, betraying the awful truth any mother will know – that while you might be able to bear your own grief, it is intolerable to see such pain on your children’s faces.
For while the nation mourns the head of state and a proud, loyal symbol of the country – last night was a reminder that, to these young people, she was simply ‘Grannie’.
It was a vigil that – like many of the funeral plans – the Queen is believed to have sanctioned before her death, knowing she would want her grandchildren close by. How proud she would have been.
For those in the hall and viewers watching at home, there was hope that these cousins might bond together to support the new King, and Prince William when his turn comes to take the throne.
The special dispensation the King gave to Prince Harry to wear his uniform made the vigil all the more significant. Despite having served two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the Army, he was stripped of
How intolerable to see the pain of grief etched on your children’s faces
his honorary military titles when he quit his role as a working member of the Royal Family.
It meant that when he took part in the procession behind the Queen’s coffin last week, he was in a morning suit. His uncle, the Duke of York, suffered the same fate, having also been stripped of his military titles. Both Andrew, who served with the Navy in the Falklands, and Harry were required to bow rather than salute as they passed the Cenotaph.
On Tuesday, an aide to the Duke of Sussex reportedly said his ‘decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears’. Yet here was a change. An insider explained: ‘When Andrew was first told he wouldn’t be allowed to dress in uniform for the procession behind his mother’s coffin, he became incredibly upset. Charles took pity and granted him the right to appear in uniform for the vigils. It meant that Harry could then wear his, too.’
Last night, the Queen’s grandchildren, most of whom are now parents themselves, seemed to draw strength from one another.
As they walked out, the sombre mood was broken by a light-hearted moment as they ascended the steps when Zara, who was otherwise impeccably elegant, appeared to lose a shoe.
She smiled and stooped to pick it up, which made Peter chuckle. Behind them, Lady Louise was watching and allowed herself a little grin. So, in death, as in life, the Queen was surrounded by both love and warm, affectionate humour.