William, Prince of Wales, has said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, who has been an important figure in his life. William’s relationship with the queen spans his whole life. Not only did the Queen assist in the upbringing of her grandson, but she also worked to prepare him to succeed her as Queen of England.
Following the loss of his cherished grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, Prince William delivered a touching eulogy for the monarch.
According to the Daily Mail, the Prince of Wales claimed in a statement he shared on Instagram that Her Majesty stood by his side through the highs and lows of his life.
The aforementioned message was sent out after the passing of the royal matriarch, in which the royal acknowledged the support the sovereign had given him through his struggles, as well as for being there for him and his younger brother, Prince Harry, after their mother, Princess Diana, had passed away:
“Whenever I was having the time of my life, you could find her at my side. And she was there for me while I was going through the worst times of my life.”
Her two boys were just 12 and 15 years old when their mother, the Princess of Wales, passed away in a vehicle accident in August of 1997. Her mother-in-law took up the care of her sons after she passed away and passionately guarded them.
During their adolescent years, the princes and the queen were quite close to one another. Prior to the celebration of the monarch’s 90th birthday in 2016, Prince William used the opportunity to express his gratitude to his grandmother for her unflinching support over the years:
“Having lost my mother at a young age, it has been particularly important to me that I’ve lost somebody to look up to and who’s been there and who has understood some of the more complex issues when you lose a loved one,” she said. “The Queen has been there and has understood some of the more complex issues when you lose a loved one.”
The monarch conveyed his appreciation to the Queen for the “direction” she had provided to him and said that he had gained a great deal of knowledge from her. He predicted that it would be some time before the reality of her passing would set in, and he added that the king had always said:
In an interview with Us Weekly conducted in August 2022, the person in charge of the investigation into Princess Diana’s tragic car accident, Lord John Stevens, recounted having a conversation with Prince William and Prince Harry about their mother’s passing.
After entering, Stevens engaged in a lengthy discussion with the princes, which kept them occupied for some time. He said that after providing an overview of the findings for around ten to fifteen minutes, the remainder of the time was spent with the audience asking him questions.
Stevens claims that the young royals had no idea of the circumstances surrounding their mother’s loss, including the location of her passing and the words she spoke before she passed.
The former head of police described his talks with Prince Harry and Prince William as “extremely emotional” for both of them, and he noted that the princes were more troubled by the circumstances surrounding the passing of their mother:
“I feel the need to speak. Personally, I was feeling rather emotional about it. They were upset with the paparazzi because, in their opinion, they were largely to blame for what had happened by pursuing the automobile and forcing it to proceed at a speed of 75 miles per hour. That didn’t go down so well with them at all.”
The Prince of Wales recalls all of the moments he spent with the Queen following Princess Diana’s demise, and he earlier said that it would be difficult to attend her burial.
It was tough for the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex to say goodbye to their grandmother in Westminster Abbey, where they also said goodbye to their mother, according to the Daily Mail. Royal experts claimed that this was because it was the same spot where they said goodbye to their mother.
According to Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, speaking with FEMAIL, the Abbey conjures up bittersweet emotions, particularly for the princes:
It is likely that the actual funeral ceremony would be difficult for them emotionally since they will be reminded of their own mother’s funeral, which took place in the very same chapel of Westminster Abbey.
Richard Fitzwilliams added that the experience would without a doubt evoke those heartbreaking feelings because the princes would be expected to walk behind the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Richard Fitzwilliams said that the princes would be expected to walk behind the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
According to Fitzwilliams, there was an increase in the intensity of feelings at the burial of Princess Diana. He used the phrase “selfless person” to describe her since she helped people who were less fortunate and was nice to them despite the fact that she was herself living in agony.
In the documentary “Diana, 7 Days,” which aired on the BBC in 2017, Prince William reflected on the event and confessed that it had a profound impact on him:
“That walk was without a doubt one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to undertake. It was almost as if she was there with us to guide us through the difficult situation.”
On September 6, 1997, Princes William and Harry presided over the funeral services for their beloved mother. They traveled two miles from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey in order to attend her funeral. Along the way, they were accompanied by their father, who is now King Charles III, their grandpa, Prince Philip, and their uncle, Charles, Earl of Spencer.
On September 19, 2022, the royal children laid their grandmother to rest in a ceremony that was attended by the whole nation in London. According to the People, when they were in the parade, they walked side by side.
Next to the Duke of Sussex stood their first cousin Peter Philips, while the Prince of Wales was flanked on both sides by his oldest son, Prince George. They were joined by their father, who walked in the first row behind the coffin with his children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Their grandfather also accompanied them.
As the funeral procession for Her Majesty passed through the Cenotaph in London, the King, Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex, and Prince of Wales all rendered a salute as a homage to the warriors who served Britain and the Commonwealth. Both the First and Second World Wars claimed their lives.
While everything was going on, Prince Harry showed his respect by bowing his head as he walked by the Cenotaph. Due to the fact that they are no longer required to perform royal duties, he and his uncle, the Duke of York, donned suits instead of the senior royals who wore military uniforms.
In addition, the Queen’s children and grandchildren stood in order behind a gun carriage that was used to transport her to the spot where she would be laid to rest. Outside of Westminster Hall, there was complete calm for two minutes until the sounds of boots tapping together in synchrony on the cobblestones and shouted military instructions shattered the silence.
The journey of the sovereign to her ultimate resting place started in New Palace Yard with a procession to Westminster Abbey. Her final resting place is in Westminster Abbey. The historic event was caught by tens of thousands of people as they crowded the streets to bid their last farewells to Queen Elizabeth II, who held the title of England’s longest-reigning queen.