Following Queen Elizabeth II's coffin were her children: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, with King Charles leading the procession, followed by Prince William and Prince Harry walking alongside other senior royals and family members, including Peter Phillips, as they escorted the coffin to Westminster Hall.
At the rear of the procession were representatives of civilian services. The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, the Earl of Snowdon and the Duke of Gloucester walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin.
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.
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.
Household Cavalry trooper Jack Burnell-Williams, 18, played a key role in the royal send-off as one of the men who protected her coffin. Jack, who was part of the Blues and Royals regiment, was tragically found dead at Hyde Park Barracks in London's Knightsbridge.
As Royal Family members are buried inside a chamber, rather than directly in the ground, their coffins are lined with lead in order to slow decomposition. The lead seals the coffin and prevents moisture from getting in, preserving the body for up to a year.
Freddie Mercury's last words are reported differently depending on who is sharing, with his partner Jim Hutton recalling his final utterance as a request to go to the toilet ("Pee, pee!") while being helped, and friend Peter Freestone stating his last words to him were a simple, poignant "Thank you," possibly for his care or for their years together. Other final messages include his public farewell "I still love you" in the video for "These Are The Days Of Our Lives," and his wish for unfinished music to be released, notes the Facebook post with his companion Mary Austin.
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.
Camilla did not attend Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997.
I omitted obey from my vows.
"I've been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose," he said to his grandmother, who responded, "Well then, I suppose I have to say yes."
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.
(NewsNation) — When Queen Elizabeth died, she left her eight grandchildren a whopping $90 million, but it wasn't split evenly. While $16 million was allocated for Harry and William, Harry is set to receive $8.5 million (slightly more than half) as he doesn't directly benefit from the Duchy of Cornwall.
Royal experts have claimed that the bride and Carole Middleton feared that the Duchess would 'overshadow the main event' and pull focus from Pippa on her big day. At the time there were rumors that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were dating and the press were desperate to snap a shot of the couple together at an event.
Though heavier than a traditional casket, they're not entirely made of lead. Witnessing the Welsh Guards' struggle with one during a funeral highlights the added weight. This sealing is crucial for possible future exhumations or when embalming isn't possible, as it prevents the odors associated with decomposition.
Summing up his future sister-in-law in just three words, he described her as 'carefree, sweet, and kind. ' Harry grew close with Kate and had a solid relationship with his older brother William, with the three often attending royal events together.
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.
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
However, one member of the Royal Family decided to skip Diana's funeral, fearing their attendance would upset too many people. According to the Daily Mail, biographer Sean Smith discussed Duchess Sophie's decision to not attend Princess Diana's funeral in a forthcoming book.
Princess Diana's true love was widely considered to be Pakistani heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan, whom her friends called the "love of her life" and she referred to as "Mr. Wonderful," with whom she shared a deep, private, two-year relationship focused on sincerity and a normal life, even discussing marriage before their breakup in 1997, just months before her death. While she also had other notable romances, like with James Hewitt and Dodi Fayed, Khan was the one she longed for a future with, seeking a genuine connection away from the media spotlight.
"Second, her body was embalmed by the French and it is said that the purpose of this was to conceal that she was pregnant." He said no pregnancy test had been carried out on Diana at the hospital where she was taken that night because there appeared to be no reason to do so.
Yes, Freddie Mercury was deeply in love with Mary Austin, calling her his "true love" and "common-law wife," even though their romantic relationship ended when he embraced his sexuality; he maintained an incredibly strong, lifelong bond with her, leaving her the majority of his estate and calling her his soulmate who was irreplaceable, as stated in this Instagram post and this Facebook post. Their love evolved from romance into a profound, enduring friendship, as described in this Smooth Radio article and this Reddit post.
Mary Austin honored Freddie Mercury's dying wish by secretly scattering his ashes in an undisclosed location, a secret she has kept for decades, never revealing the spot to anyone, not even his parents, to ensure he could rest in peace without disturbance. For two years after his death, she kept the ashes in her bedroom before carrying out the scattering, making it seem like a normal day to avoid gossip from staff.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Mercury and Queen found great success across the globe but Mercury's life was cut tragically short due to AIDS. Freddie Mercury's last words were “pee, pee” as he requested assistance using the restroom because he was so weak and frail.