Prince Harry and Prince William Will Not Be Walking Together at Prince Philip’s Royal Funeral

Prince Philip, sadly, has passed away at the age of 99, and the royal family is currently in the process of planning his funeral. The Duke of Edinburgh’s service will look a little different than originally intended due to the coronavirus pandemic restricting the number of people who are able to gather together indoors. That said, key members of the royal family will be attending the funeral—including Prince Harry, who flew in from California—and it will be broadcast on live TV.

Here are all the details about Prince Philip’s funeral that have been shared with the public so far:

Prince Philip’s Funeral Is on Saturday, April 17

Buckingham Palace revealed full details about the Duke of Edinburgh’s ceremonial royal funeral on its website. A brief breakdown is as follows:

• The funeral will take place at 3 p.m. UK time (officially known as BST) on Saturday, April 17, 2021, in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

• There will be a minute of silence at 3 p.m. BST.

• The funeral service will be preceded by a ceremonial procession inside the grounds of Windsor Castle. Members of the royal family will walk behind Prince Philip’s coffin during this procession.

• The service will be attended by members of the royal family who were close to Prince Philip, as well as his private secretary (note: no more than 30 people will be in attendance due to coronavirus restrictions).

According to The Sun, close friends of Prince Philip as well as royal family members who can’t attend the service will be “given log-in details to watch the ceremony online.” It’s thought that this private stream will be the same footage that’s scheduled to air on the BBC and ITV at 3 p.m. BST—just without any live commentary.

Prince Harry and Prince William Will Not Walk Together at the Procession

People reported that Harry and Will are set to walk in the first procession as planned…but their cousin Peter Phillips (the son of Princess Anne) will be walking between them. As for the second procession going into the chapel, William will walk with Peter. Harry will walk just behind William with David Armstrong-Jones (the son of Princess Margaret). Harry and William will also sit one seat apart during the service, with Antony Armstrong Jones (Earl of Snowdon) sitting between them.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the outlet that switching up the procession order was “a practical change rather than sending a signal,” adding that “this is a funeral and we are not going to be drawn into perceptions of drama. The arrangements have been agreed and represent Her Majesty’s wishes.”

The official pairings in the procession, front to back, are:

• Princess Anne and Prince Charles

• Prince Edward and Prince Andrew

• Prince Harry, Peter Philips, and Prince William

• Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, and Antony Armstrong Jones

• Prince Philip’s cherished household staff, who will be carrying his coffin in a Land Rover Philip designed before his death

• Queen Elizabeth and a lady-in-waiting, who will arrive in her official Bentley

This Is Prince Harry’s First Time Seeing the Royals in a Year

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prince Harry—who arrived in the UK on Sunday, April 11—has not been home since March 2020. Also significant: He hasn’t seen his family since his bombshell Oprah interview, during which the Sussexes opened up about the racism, bullying, and lack of compassion they faced during their time living among the royals in England.

The interview has caused significant fallout in the royal family, but many are hoping the royals will be able to set aside their differences during this emotional time. A source previously told The Mirror that Harry had spoken to his father, Prince Charles, ahead of the funeral and that he was “united in grief” with the rest of the royal family.

Meghan Markle Will Not Be in Attendance

The Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with her second child, will not attend Prince Philip’s funeral on the advice of her doctor. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed this in the following statement:

That said, Meghan has reportedly spoken to the Queen to express her sympathies about Prince Philip’s passing.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kids Likely Won’t Attend

Aside from restrictions on the number of people allowed at the funeral, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids are considered too young to attend their great-great-grandfather’s service. Additionally, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson (aka Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice’s mom), is also unlikely to attend.

There’s Been an Unprecedented Outfit Change

The royals will reportedly not be dressed in military uniform at the funeral—a decision that comes amid concern that Prince Harry would be the only person in a suit due to being stripped of his honorary military titles.

According to the Daily Mail, courtiers have been “racked by concern” that Harry would be the odd one out, and the Queen herself made the unprecedented decision to have the entire family skip military uniform entirely. ITV reports that said decision would help prevent “embarrassment.”

We’ll be updating this as Buckingham Palace releases more information about Prince Philip’s funeral, including the royal family members attending and details about the order of service as they’re made available.

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