Several royals showed emotion at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, most notably Princess Charlotte, who was seen crying and being comforted by her mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, as well as King Charles III, who appeared teary-eyed, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who wiped away tears. Other family members like Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Edward also displayed sadness during the service.
ABC News reported in its livestream of the funeral that King Charles III was also seen with tears on his face during the intense ceremony. Photos of the procession of the queen's coffin to the abbey also showed the king looking visibly upset.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Prince Harry whispered to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, that he hoped she was happy and with his grandfather, Prince Philip, and expressed his admiration for her dedication to duty until the end, as revealed in his memoir Spare. He said he hoped she'd be happy and with Grandfather now, acknowledging her service through the Jubilee and her final duties.
Harry wrote about the moment in his 2023 memoir Spare, sharing that Kate texted Meghan four days before the wedding, telling her, “Charlotte's dress is too big, too long, too baggy.
At one point, Diana called Queen Elizabeth “sobbing,” as we learned in the 2017 documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. It's because of this close-knit bond that Queen Elizabeth allowed Princess Diana to call her “Mama.”
"I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her," Meghan said in a new interview with Variety. "It's been a complicated time, but my husband, ever the optimist, said, 'Now she's reunited with her husband.
However, this wish was firmly denied. An insider explained that the Late Queen refused the photo because it was a private family meeting. There were concerns that any images taken by the Sussexes' photographer could be shared with US television networks, which raised privacy issues.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
Not invited
No-one from Russia, Belarus and Myanmar was invited either. Diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia have all but collapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was "not considering" attending the funeral.
“It is with sadness that we can confirm the death of Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams on 28 September 2022 at Hyde Park Barracks,” an army spokesperson told The Guardian. “Our thoughts are with the soldier's family and friends at this difficult time and we ask that their privacy is respected.
During the decommissioning ceremony, Queen Elizabeth famously wept, marking one of the only times she ever cried in public during her 70 years on the throne. Princess Anne was also seen wiping away tears as she attended the ceremony alongside her parents and siblings.
While "nicest" is subjective, polls consistently show Prince William and Princess Catherine (Kate) as the most popular and positively viewed royals, often praised for their warmth, dedication, and resilience, with Princess Anne frequently cited for her down-to-earth, no-nonsense, and hardworking nature, making her a strong contender for "nicest" in terms of perceived authenticity.
Meghan Markle revealed she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a rare and serious medical condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine after childbirth, which she described as a "huge medical scare". She shared this personal health battle on her podcast, highlighting the challenges of managing a life-threatening condition while navigating new motherhood privately, an experience she shares with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl said Queen Elizabeth II once referred to Camilla as "that wicked woman." For years, the Queen refused to sanction Camilla and Charles' relationship after their affair.
As a child, Prince William called Queen Elizabeth II 'Gary'.
Princess Diana's secret love affair with Hasnat Khan—her 'true soulmate,' as revealed by former butler Paul Burrell. 'Diana & Meghan: Royal History Repeating Itself' is available NOW on True Royalty TV.
As Kate Middleton walked down the aisle at her wedding to Prince William, Prince Harry whispered to his brother, "She is here now," followed by, "Well, she looks beautiful, I can tell you that," according to royal author Marcia Moody. This sweet moment captured the brothers' closeness, with Harry acting as best man, before William then whispered "You look beautiful" to Kate as she reached the altar.
Royal Highnesses bow and curtsey only to majesties, so Meghan would only have to do so to Kate once the princess becomes Queen.
Princess Kate had "planned abdominal surgery" in January 2024, described by Kensington Palace as successful and non-cancerous initially, but later revealed to involve cancer requiring preventative chemotherapy, though the specific type of surgery (e.g., hysterectomy, organ removal, or other issue) was kept private, with speculation ranging from gynecological to gastrointestinal issues, all pointing to a major procedure requiring significant recovery time.