Prince Harry and Prince William’s Drama Overshadows Prince Philip’s Funeral Plans

Windsor Castle was already shaping up to play host to a royal funeral unlike any other this Saturday, but Buckingham Palace’s revelation Thursday night, which revealed inter alia that Harry and William would not walk side by side behind their grandfather’s coffin, has now completely altered the narrative of the day’s events.

Buckingham Palace sought to play down the disastrous optics of the brothers, once so close, physically separated on this most sombre of days, telling reporters at a briefing who asked whether arrangements for the procession reflected strain in the royal siblings' relationship: “This is a funeral, we’re not going to be drawn into those perceptions of drama, or anything like that, this is a funeral. The arrangements have been agreed, and they represent Her Majesty’s wishes, so we’re not going to say anything more on that.”

Harry and William’s Feud Rumbles on With Dueling StatementsHEADS TOGETHER?

Tom Sykes

However it now appears that Harry and William’s relationship remains in the tatters it was reduced to after Harry and Meghan told Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed member of the royal family had questioned the darkness of the unborn Archie’s skin, while Meghan had allegedly been left feeling suicidal and without any help being offered to her.

Harry also said his brother was “trapped” in the royal family, and Meghan accused William’s wife Kate Middleton of making her cry before her wedding and not correcting press stories that the opposite had happened.

The Daily Beast reported this weekend that there was minimal expectation in some royal circles that Prince Philip’s death would lead to a reset of royal relations. That assessment now appears to be stunningly accurate.

That the two brothers issued separate statements earlier in the week to mark their grandfather’s passing was seen by many as a missed opportunity to telegraph unity. Not walking together at the funeral will do absolutely nothing to correct that impression.

Even without the symbolic public washing of Harry and William’s dirty linen, Saturday’s funeral was already struggling to capture the notes of celebration that would be commonplace at a ceremony for any 99-year-old, let alone someone who had lived a life as full as Philip’s.

Coronavirus rules have meant that Operation Forth Bridge, as the long-held plans for Prince Philip’s death were codenamed by British authorities, had to be torn up.

Those plans foresaw crowds of tens of thousands thronging packed streets, eye-catching displays of military pomp, a 23-mile journey from London to Windsor with tearful mourners lining the roadsides and a church stuffed to the rafters with politicians, great thinkers, scientists, youth and charity leaders, and European royalty.

Now, those plans have been shredded. All public elements of the funeral have been cancelled, and it will take place entirely in the private grounds of Windsor Castle. Coronavirus regulations, of course, are to blame—they mean that a core group of just 30 close family and friends may attend Philip’s funeral on Saturday at St George’s Chapel.

The names were released by the palace on Thursday evening.

Philip’s children (including Andrew) and grandchildren will all be present, as will their spouses. Princes Margaret’s two children, Lady Sarah Chatto and David Armstrong-Jones (now Earl of Snowdon), will also attend. Sarah Ferguson won’t, unsurprisingly, given Philip’s well-publicized dislike of her. One welcome piece of news to emerge Thursday was that three members of the duke’s sisters’ German families, who were snubbed by not being invited to his 1947 wedding, will be present.

To get a sense of just how empty the church will seem, consider that this is the same venue where Harry and Meghan were married in front of 600 guests.

The 30 individuals will be required to sit a minimum of two meters apart from anyone not in their household, and no singing will be permitted in accordance with the austere anti-COVID measures now in place in churches across England. The mourners will cut a drab sight as none of them will be wearing military uniform after an internal argument about what Andrew and Harry would wear threatened to overshadow the ceremony.

The mechanics of the operation will, as one would expect for a man with Philip’s passion for precision, run like clockwork.

The palace has said, for example, that Philip’s coffin—closed and covered by the duke’s personal standard together with his naval cap and sword and a wreath of flowers—will begin its final journey by emerging from the State Entrance of the castle at exactly 2:40 p.m. (9:40 a.m. EST) before being reverently placed on a hearse specially adapted on the duke’s orders from his favorite vehicle, a Land Rover Defender, in Windsor Castle’s great quadrangle.

Every detail will be televised. The BBC and ITV are to devote several hours of programming exclusively to the event. In America, NBC News will begin broadcasting beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST on both their network and their streaming service, NBC News Now. Canadian viewers can tune in to CTV News which will begin live coverage at 8 a.m. EST.

At 2:35 p.m. (9:45 a.m. EST) a procession will set off from the quadrangle, led by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, of which the Duke of Edinburgh was Colonel for 42 years, followed by a small group of service chiefs representing all branches of the armed forces. Also following will be family members (excluding Queen Elizabeth). Exactly eight minutes later the coffin will arrive at the West Steps entrance to the chapel. Soldiers from the Household Cavalry and Coldstream Guards, who are also participating in the ceremony, have been carrying out rehearsal drills all week.

Once the Land Rover is stationary at the foot of the West Steps, a band of pipers will play the “Still”—a call-to-attention tune used by the navy.

A party of pallbearers made up of Royal Marines, the special forces of which Philip was Captain General for 64 years, will lift the coffin off its unusual hearse and proceed up the West Steps, halting halfway.

The naval theme will be emphasized again by the pipers playing the “Side,” a ceremonial tune traditionally played on the boatswain’s pipe when distinguished visitors arrive on board a Royal Navy warship.

At 3 p.m. there will be a national minute’s silence before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, receives the coffin and the 30 mourners attending the ceremony into the chapel. The Royal Navy Piping Party will pipe the “Carry On”, the traditional boatswain call used after the Still, to dismiss the crew back to their duties. Philip was Honorary Admiral of the Fleet, and was mentioned in dispatches during World War II.

Inside the church, where TV cameras will be present throughout, there will be no further opportunity to scrutinize the chemistry of William and Harry as they will be seated separately.

The ceremony will doubtless aim to celebrate Philip’s many passions and achievements. The palace has made a point of emphasizing that he was a decorated veteran of World War II, and his support for the Commonwealth, his promotion of the Outward Bound Trust, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award will all be recognized.

It is to be expected that there will be multiple speakers, but it will be particularly interesting to see what roles are assigned to William, Andrew, and Harry. It is entirely conceivable that Andrew, as Philip’s son, could be invited to make an address but that Harry is not, and/or that William says a few words in view of his role in the direct line of succession, but Harry does not.

And of course if Harry does get to speak, then the other grandchildren might feel short-changed if they are not offered the opportunity to do so.

Harry, as a member of a distinct household, is likely not to be seated within two meters of other mourners, including the queen, who it has been announced will sit on her own in the quire of the chapel.

Harry’s representatives have made it clear he will abide strictly by British COVID regulations.

After the funeral, the duke will be interred in the Royal Vault beneath St George’s Chapel, before being moved to lie beside the queen after her death.

As for the mourners’ movements afterwards, British rules currently state that 15 people are allowed to gather for a wake, so if Harry, William and their father do have an opportunity to speak together informally, this will likely be it.

The chances of them meeting up in the days following the funeral are minimal, as to do so would be a contravention of English COVID laws which order: “Only socialize indoors with people you live with or who are in your support bubble.” Up to six people or two households can meet outside, but it’s hard to imagine a meaningful family reconciliation under those circumstances.