London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026

William and Harry lead historic coffin vigil

William and Harry lead historic coffin vigil

The Queen's eight grandchildren, including the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, have stood vigil around her coffin as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.

At King Charles's request, Prince Harry wore military uniform, for the first time since 2020.

Prince Harry has worn civilian clothes at public events since the Queen died.

It is the first time in history that the grandchildren of a monarch have taken part in the ceremony.

The King's sons William and Harry were joined by Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, the children of Princess Anne, as well as Prince Andrew's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, who are Prince Edward's children.

At 44, Peter Philips is the oldest of the Queen's grandchildren, while the youngest, James, Viscount Severn, is 14.

In silence and with their heads bowed, the eight cousins stood at different points around the coffin as crowds continued to file past.

Prince William stood at the head of the Queen's coffin with his brother at the opposite end.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the parents of Louise and James, looked on from a platform facing the coffin.

Prince Harry wore a Blues and Royals uniform


The grandchildren's vigil started at 18:01 BST and lasted for just under 15 minutes.

On Friday evening, the Queen's children, including the King, took part in a similar vigil, standing guard for about 10 minutes.

Ahead of the vigil, Beatrice and Eugenie paid tribute to their "dear Grannie", saying: "It has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we're so very proud of you."

In a joint statement, they said the Queen was "our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world" and that they already miss her "terribly".

They went on: "Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy.

"You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.

"The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are."

The pair told the Queen they were "so happy you're back with Grandpa" and added that "our dear Uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service".

The vigil on Saturday was the first time Prince Harry had been seen in military uniform since stepping back as a working royal in 2020.

He served two tours in Afghanistan as part of the Army. He now lives in California with his wife Meghan and their two children.

The Duke of Sussex was wearing the Blues and Royals No 1 uniform, the same uniform as his brother.

Prince William has completed more than seven years of full-time military service, including three-and-a-half years as a search and rescue pilot.

Prince Harry stood at the opposite end of the coffin to his brother, the Prince of Wales


Prince Andrew was also allowed to wear his military uniform as he stood guard on Friday. The 62-year-old stepped down as a working royal in 2019, after facing questions over his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The prince was later stripped of his military titles.

Earlier on Saturday, Prince William and his father King Charles went to Lambeth, south London to shake hands and greet people queuing to view the Queen lying in state.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex conducted their own walkabout outside Buckingham Palace.

The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall until her funeral on Monday.

The queue to see the coffin stretches as far as Southwark Park and has previously seen wait times of over 24 hours. Officials have warned that the queue will be closed before 06:30 BST on Monday, so that people do not join the line and fail to reach Westminster Hall in time.

On Saturday afternoon, organisers announced that the accessible queue has reached full capacity, with all time slots now allocated.


Watch: The Queen's grandchildren take part in the historic vigil


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
US and UK Army Chiefs Strengthen Cooperation on the Future of Armored Warfare
Britain’s Search for the Next ARM Intensifies as Startups and Investors Target the Semiconductor Frontier
Three US Strategic Bombers Arrive at RAF Fairford as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Cancer Death Rates in the UK Fall to the Lowest Level on Record
UK Government Bond Yields Retreat Slightly After Sharp Spike Triggered by Middle East Conflict
UK Chancellor Warns Middle East War Could Push Inflation Higher
UK Prime Minister Warns Iran Conflict Could Drive Up Prices and Threaten Economic Stability
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
×