For the first time since their mother’s death, four of Elizabeth II’s children, known as The Queen Children, were seen together in public.
Walking behind the hearse carrying the Queen’s body to St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh were King Charles, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
A moving scene indeed. Youngsters trailing their mother’s casket. The children’s ages are irrelevant; in that instant, they are once again children.
They appeared less fluid and a little slower as they walked in lockstep for the cameras and honour guards.
Those mournful faces followed them up the Royal Mile. Both of their parents passed away within a span of 18 months. Even with the eyes of the world’s media on you, you’ll still feel alone.
One could sense a gentle dignity as well. Princess Anne, 72, walked behind her mother’s coffin in her Royal Navy ceremonial attire for this final leg of the journey, just as she had done since the coffin departed the solitude of Balmoral. She plans on sticking with it till after the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Hall.
Similar to weddings, funerals reunite friends and relatives. However, in recent days, significant changes have been made to the positions of these royal brothers.
Because his mother’s life has ended, King Charles has started a new one. At 73 years old, he’s taken on one of the most visible positions in the world.
He strode down the street with a field marshal’s baton in his hand, holding court as both commander-in-chief and chief mourner.
His new initials will shortly replace the Queen’s insignia that was still sewn onto his clothing.
He has had a busy schedule of public and private meetings with legislators and planners as he travels to discuss the funeral’s development, all while dealing with his own private sadness.
When most people would want to be in hiding, he has been thrust into the spotlight.
As Charles and his heirs ascend to power, the rest of the royal family is gradually pushed to the background because of the hereditary principle. Remote limbs of the royal family tree.
His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, 62, was also making his way uphill. He was a medal recipient, but unlike his siblings, he was not dressed in a military uniform.
He was unblinkingly staring ahead, possibly considering the many ways in which his own life had altered.
They strolled along the tourist-filled streets of Edinburgh. Even larger numbers showed up today, yet there was an air of calm and interest among them.
Horses’ hooves clopped on the cobblestones, and a crowd of onlookers held up their smartphones to capture a piece of history as it passed.
The coffin and the Queen’s children then entered the cathedral for a service with hymns, music, and prayers, accompanied by further pomp and salutes.
The four young princes returned to the cathedral later that evening to execute the Vigil of the Princes, an age-old ritual that had not been carried out since the Queen Mother’s funeral. They lowered their heads privately in mourning as people streamed by to pay their respects.
Flowers, some brought all the way from the Queen’s Balmoral residence, lay atop the coffin as it was transported. For the first time, a crown was included, and the journey’s grandiosity increased with each stage leading up to next week’s royal funeral.
Saint Giles, whose name the church bears, was a bishop, and whose lavish lifestyle may have inspired envy in the young royals. He was a recluse who hid out in the woods, far from civilization.