LONDON | Often described as enemy brothers, princes William and Harry were reunited on Saturday evening on the occasion of a funeral wake for the eight grandchildren of Elizabeth II around her coffin, a ceremony where the British flocked before her funeral. Monday.
The two brothers were in uniform – Harry no longer wore it since his shattering retirement from the monarchy – unlike their six cousins Peter, Zara, Beatrice, Eugenie, Louise, reputed to be the Queen’s favorite granddaughter, and James, rarely appeared in public.
Back to the coffin, head bowed, visibly moved, they gathered for ten minutes in Westminster Hall, under the gaze of visitors. They continued to parade without interruption, following long hours of queuing, to say goodbye to the popular sovereign, who died on September 8 at the age of 96 in her Scottish residence of Balmoral.
Scrambled since 2020, the two children of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana had already created a surprise by appearing together with their wives Kate and Meghan, two days following the Queen’s death, during a walkregarding in front of the Windsor Castle.
We saw them once more, a few meters apart, on Wednesday during the very official procession behind the remains of the queen between Buckingham Palace and Westminster.
Prince William, heir to the Crown and who now bears the title of Prince of Wales, has been at odds with his younger brother since Harry announced in March 2020 to distance himself from the royal family, causing an earthquake in the United Kingdom .
Last chance to see the queen
“I love you William!”: the eldest of the two brothers enjoys strong popularity, as he was able to verify once more on Saturday noon, during a surprise walkregarding with his father, Charles III, at the meeting Britons queuing to bow before the coffin.
The hours are now counted to gather in front of the remains – in her closed coffin surmounted by the sumptuous imperial crown – of the sovereign, very popular until her death, following more than 70 years of reign.
Two days before the ‘funeral of the century’, for which foreign dignitaries have started to flock, the waiting time in line along the Thames to Westminster Hall in London to view the coffin exceeded 11 hours Saturday evening and authorities alerted the public to the expected cooling overnight.
The public has until Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. to pay their last respects to the Sovereign, final farewells in meditation, sometimes tears, for a Sovereign who has become a symbol of unity and stability during her reign, of a record length in UK history.
“It was so moving, with a really nice, peaceful and calm vibe. The queue was long, but it looked like a celebration,” Jenna O’Sullivan, 36, told AFP following waiting 14 hours to finally see the coffin.
A rare incident in the ongoing tributes: A man was arrested Friday night following he left the line and approached the coffin, authorities said.
Diplomatic ballet for Charles
London is preparing feverishly for its first state funeral since that of Winston Churchill in 1965. For the police, the event promises to be even more imposing than the Olympic Games which took place in London in 2012.
The protocol has been seen and reviewed for many years and Her Majesty’s troops tirelessly repeat in the streets the course and the gestures for the event.
Before the funeral at Westminster Abbey, Charles III received representatives from the 14 other Commonwealth realms of which he is Head of State.
Some leaders of the organization, to which Elizabeth II was very attached, but which is shaken by the Republican temptations of certain members, in the Caribbean in particular, had the opportunity to meditate in front of the coffin, including Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau , Jacinda Ardern and Anthony Albanese.
Distinguished guests were beginning to flock to London, starting with US President Joe Biden, who was to land in the capital that evening. He will attend a reception hosted by Charles III on Sunday evening for invited heads of state.
On Monday morning, a procession will accompany the queen’s coffin to Westminster Abbey where the funeral will be held at 10 a.m. GMT.
Some 2,000 guests, including several hundred leaders from around the world, crowned heads, but also anonymous people decorated for their associative commitment, will attend the ceremony.
Elizabeth II will be buried privately in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, west London, with her father King George VI and her husband Prince Philip.