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.”
However there is little doubt that the failure to engineer a situation in which the two brothers honor their grandfather by putting on a united front will be deeply disappointing to the many commentators who have urged them to use the funeral to reconcile, including former British Prime Minister John Major, who acted as special guardian for the boys after Diana’s death.
If you love The Daily Beast’s royal coverage, then we hope you’ll enjoy The Royalist, a members-only series for Beast Inside. Become a member to get it in your inbox on Sunday.