London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 02, 2026

Diana memories made Queen's procession challenging - William

Diana memories made Queen's procession challenging - William

The Prince of Wales said walking behind the Queen's coffin "brought back a few memories" of his mother's funeral as he spoke to well-wishers in Norfolk.

Prince William said it had been "challenging", as he and the Princess of Wales viewed floral tributes left outside Sandringham House.

He and his brother walked behind the gun carriage in Wednesday's procession, echoing Princess Diana's funeral.

Members of the Royal Family conducted visits as official mourning continued.

After viewing some of the hundreds of tributes to the late monarch, who died last week, outside the gates at Sandringham, Prince William and Catherine spoke to those gathered there.

Speaking to one woman, Prince William said: "I mean the walk yesterday was challenging, it brought back a few memories..."

Among those he spoke to was receptionist Jane Wells, from Long Sutton in Lincolnshire, who said she had told the prince how proud his mother would have been of him.

"He said how hard it was yesterday because it brought back memories of his mother's funeral," she said.

Caroline Barwick-Walters, of Neath in Wales, said she told Prince William "thank you for sharing your grief with the nation", and that he replied "she was everybody's grandmother".

Prince William, then 15, and his brother, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex, then 12, walked with their father, King Charles III, behind the coffin of their mother, Princess Diana, in September 1997.

They were side by side again as they solemnly escorted the Queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster on Wednesday.

Speaking in 2017, Prince Harry described walking behind his mother's coffin as a child as something that would not happen now.

He told Newsweek: "I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."

Princes William and Harry at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997

They joined their father King Charles in walking behind the Queen's coffin on Wednesday


Sandringham House has been a royal residence for four generations of British monarchs for a period of more than 150 years, and has traditionally been where the Queen spent her Christmas break.

She gifted Anmer Hall, a Georgian country house which is part of the Sandringham estate, to Prince William and Catherine after their wedding.

The couple made it their main home for several years while their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte were young.

Meanwhile, the King returned to Highgrove, his country home in Gloucestershire, where a spokesman said he was attending to state business.

Other members of the Royal Family have also been on visits on Thursday.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie - met well-wishers and viewed tributes in Manchester's St Ann's Square.

The couple were shown a book of condolence at Manchester's Central Library, before lighting a candle in memory of the Queen at Manchester Cathedral.

The Princess Royal - the Queen's only daughter Princess Anne - travelled to Glasgow to meet representatives of organisations of which the Queen was patron.

On Wednesday, members of the Royal Family marched behind the Queen's coffin as it travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she is lying-in-state.

Thousands have queued for hours to view the coffin, which people can visit 24 hours a day until 06:30 BST on 19 September - the day of her funeral.

At 20:00 on Thursday the queue was nearly five miles (8km) long, with queuing time estimated to be eight-and-a-half hours.

Many more people are expected to come to the capital to pay their respects over the next three days, as the country prepares to say a final farewell to its longest-reigning monarch.

Some details have been released for the Queen's state funeral, which will be held at Westminster Abbey and is likely to be one of the biggest single ceremonial events staged in Britain since World War Two.

Thousands of people have left flowers and tributes outside Sandringham House


Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, spoke to crowds in Glasgow

The Earl and Countess of Wessex lit a candle in memory of the Queen at Manchester Cathedral


Prince William: Procession was "challenging" and "brought back memories"

Prince and Princess of Wales meet Sandringham crowd


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
House of Lords Begins Detailed Legislative Scrutiny of Representation of the People Bill and Cyber Security Laws
Metropolitan Police Detain More Than Three Hundred Individuals Following Large-Scale Demonstration Outside London Embassy
Home Office Prepares Stricter Residency Rules Requiring Vulnerable Migrants to Wait Decade for Settlement Rights
Professional Mental Health Bodies Demand Statutory Regulation for Counsellors and Psychotherapists
National Grid Confirms Construction of Britain's Largest Electrical Substation to Power Teesside Data Centre
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Travels to Samoa for Commonwealth Summit Amid Debates on Economic Cooperation and Reparations
Home Office Implements Enhanced Digital Border Controls and Visa Processing Systems at Major Airports
Office for National Statistics Reports Stable Employment Participation Rates Across Regional Labor Markets
Department for Business and Trade Announces Strategic Partnership to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
Scottish Government Unveils Regional Economic Development Strategy to Boost Advanced Manufacturing in Glasgow and Dundee
Treasury Officials Review Taxation Frameworks and Capital Gains Rules Ahead of Autumn Budget Disclosures
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Winter Capacity Pressures Across Acute Care Facilities
Bank of England Prepares for Key Interest Rate Decision Amid Sticky Inflation and Fiscal Policy Pressures
Home Office Expands Border Security Operations and Intelligence Sharing With European Partners
Office for National Statistics Reports Modest Retail Sales Growth Ahead of Crucial Christmas Trading Season
Welsh Government Unveils Strategic Plan to Boost Regional Technology Innovation and Digital Skills Training
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements New Agricultural Subsidies Framework for English Farmers
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Announces Major Regional Infrastructure and Green Energy Investment Strategy
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Winter Pressures and Mounting Accident and Emergency Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Interest Rate Path Amid Persistent Services Inflation
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves Finalizes Autumn Budget Framework Aiming to Close Public Sector Fiscal Gap
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Prepares Enhanced Artificial Intelligence Safety and Cyber Defense Frameworks
United Kingdom Government Expands International Sanctions Framework Against Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Enablers
Institute of Directors Reports Sharp Post-Budget Drop in Business Confidence Despite Long-Term Investment Intention Shifts
Chancellor John Healey Defends Sweeping Fiscal Adjustments and Household Support Packages Following Autumn Budget
Parliamentary Petitions Committee Schedules Major Legislative Debates on Special Educational Needs and Non-Stun Meat Labelling
Regional Devolution and Good Growth Fund Frameworks Reshape Local Government Funding Across English Regions
Loughborough University Economic Analysts Highlight Substantial Uncertainty Surrounding Public Sector Efficiency Savings
British Legal Sector Drives Sixty Billion Pounds in Annual Economic Output While Employing Over Half a Million Professionals
Law Society Welcomes New Better Regulation Executive While Pressing for Long-Term Legal Aid Funding Reform
Metropolitan Police and Security Services Heighten Operations Across London Ahead of Large-Scale Public Demonstrations
Bank of England Economists Scrutinize Corporate Tax Adjustments and Public Sector Borrowing Pressures
Chancellor John Healey Defends Autumn Budget Tax and Spending Allocations Following Intense Parliamentary Scrutiny
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Strict Water Quality Monitoring Rules Following Severe Rainfall and Flooding
Welsh Government Unveils Comprehensive Regional Housing Strategy to Address Rural Affordability and Homelessness Pressures in Cardiff
Office for National Statistics Reports Slowing Consumer Price Inflation and Steady Retail Performance Across United Kingdom Markets
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly Advance Cross-Border Infrastructure Agreement in Belfast
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Investigation Into Artificial Intelligence Partnerships Involving Major Technology Corporations
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Secures Cross-Party Support for Devolved Budget Framework and Renewable Energy Expansion
High Court Rules in Favor of Environmental Campaigners Over Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Licensing Procedures
National Health Service England Announces Major Digital Modernization and Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic Rollout Across Regional Trusts
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Cuts Amid Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves Outline Strategic Infrastructure Plans to Boost Regional Growth and Private Investment
Water pollution remains high despite £5bn investment
Regional Economic Divergence and Industrial Transformation
Technological Sovereignty and Regulatory Scrutiny
Fiscal Consolidation and Public Service Pressures
Automotive Industry Leadership Warns of Imminent Supply Chain Disruptions Following Recent European Trade Negotiations
High Court Delivers Landmark Ruling Affirming Strict Legal Protections for Corporate Data Privacy Against State Surveillance
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan Secures Additional Funding for Regional Transport Infrastructure and Rail Modernization
×