Late Queen at Diana's funeral Respecting the feelings that the public had for Diana, Queen Elizabeth walked out of the palace with her husband Prince Philip and saw the flowers and messages that people left outside the palace.
Prince Harry Reveals He "Only Cried Once" At His Mother Diana's Funeral, Opens Up on "Guilt"
Although she was the 'people's princess,' Diana was not a Royal at the time of her death and so she was not eligible to be buried in the Royal Vault. Instead of being laid to rest in the Royal Vault, it was decided that Diana would be buried at Althorp House, the Spencer family home in Northamptonshire.
It is understood that the Royal Family wanted the young Princes to walk behind their mother's coffin as a sign of tradition, expressing the continuity of the monarchy and the constitution.
"No-one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. "I for one believe that there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. "I share in your determination to cherish her memory.
The queen stood with her family, and as Diana's funeral cortege passed by, she bowed her head. It was not a quick bow, nor a shallow one. The woman accustomed to being bowed by the world now lowered her head and humbly honored the princess.
It is known that before the Queen, who is the symbol of national unity, everyone bowed. "But that day, it is Elizabeth who bowed her head as a sign of respect for the passage of Diana's coffin, the woman who wore more than anyone else had defied the conventions of the palace."
Princess Diana was one of those people - so much so that for a while, she felt "terrified" to be attending any events at all. Often confused for simply sulking, Diana would tend to show up to events with her head down upon arrival, literally just because she was scared.
“The sight of Diana's coffin, pulled along by horses, cause many onlookers to cry, as their grief poured out after the funeral,” I added, after seeing entire families sobbing as they walked away from the funeral route.
They also worried that the local church and Brington would be overwhelmed by the number of visitors wanting to see the late Princess' grave. Whilst Diana did have a public funeral, it was a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a state funeral, and her burial was a private affair with family members only.
TheTalko website revealed how Margaret took her disdain for Diana to the late Princess' funeral, refusing to bow her head as the hearse drove past. The publication claimed: "Even though the story was true, Margaret could never forgive Diana for making the family look bad.
King Charles III walked directly behind his mother's coffin, and he was accompanied by his siblings and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
She was wearing a black woolen long-sleeved cocktail dress by Catherine Walker that she had ordered only weeks before she died, and holding a set of rosary beads that were a gift from Mother Theresa.
Camilla was not welcome at Princess Diana's Funeral
Although she did attend Diana's wedding, she was not able to attend the funeral. This decision was made at the request of the Queen, who insisted that then Prince Charles could not bring his paramour to the service, likely due to the affair the two had in 1986.
After Princess Diana died in 1997, Charles, then the Prince of Wales, wore a navy suit to her funeral. At the time, royal watchers read his outfit choice as a tribute to the late princess; Diana was said to have preferred men in navy.
Tragically, five years later Cruise and Kidman attended Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, along with Tom Hanks and more of the princess' famous friends.
One notable royal who refused to bow at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 was Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Philip was a close family friend to Diana and the two were known to have a close and complicated relationship.
According to Oprah magazine, Diana suffered from a concussion, a broken arm, a cut thigh and massive chest injuries. After a two-hour operation to save her, the doctors failed to get Diana's heart to beat properly and she never regained consciousness. She died from internal bleeding at 4:53 a.m. on August 31, 1997.
Within hours of Diana's shock death, Prince Charles was in Paris to ensure that his ex-wife's body was brought back to the UK at the earliest possible opportunity.
The former butler stunned the packed courtroom describing Diana's mother's alleged comments as “a hate-filled personal attack on the men and their religious beliefs.” According to Burrell, as a result of that call, Diana vowed never to speak to her mother again.
However, in 1989 a big falling out is said to have taken place between Raine and Diana, who was then 27 years old. According to the Channel 4 documentary, entitled Diana's Wicked Stepmother, Diana pushed Raine down some stairs in a fit of rage leaving her stepmother badly bruised.
What were Princess Diana's last words? The firefighter on the scene of Princess Diana's accident revealed the last words she spoke before her death in an interview with The Independent. According to the firefighter, Xavier Gourmelon, the Princess of Wales asked: “My God, what has happened?”
The Royal Family's response
The Queen's first public address came five days after Diana's death. “I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being,” she said in a speech broadcast to the nation.
Who walked behind Diana's coffin? The funeral procession included William and Harry,Prince Charles andPrince Philip, as well as hundreds of representatives of the charities Diana had been involved with.
"But there is no hard and fast rule, and if you can't do it or don't feel comfortable doing it or don't want to do it that's fine; it doesn't mean you hold the queen in any less respect and you won't be sent to the Tower." Another royal source added, "People do tend to bow or curtsy to the queen, and that's just good ...