Prince William says walking behind The Queen's coffin 'brought back memories'

Following Her Majesty's procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, Prince William opened up to a royal mourner, alluding to his mother's death in 1997.

• The Prince and Princess of Wales visited members of the public outside of Sandringham House.
• While chatting to mourners, Prince William opened up about last week's procession walk from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
• This is how to send condolences to the Royal Family following Queen Elizabeth II's death.

During Prince William and Kate Middleton's trip to Sandringham the newly appointed Prince and Princess of Wales took time to chat with mourners who had gathered to lay flowers outside of the property. While chatting to one mourner, Prince William appeared to allude to his mother, Princess Diana's death as he spoke about the Queen's procession, bringing 'back a few memories'.

"Doing the walk yesterday was challenging, it brought back a few memories," said Prince William to a group of mourners. "It is kind of one of these moments where you think to yourself, I have prepared myself for this but I am not that prepared."

When the Prince of Wales was just 15 when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident in 1997. The Prince and his brother Prince Harry, who was 12 at the time, walked behind their mother's coffin with their father and uncle. 

This was echoed by the brothers again last week when the pair walked solemnly side by side behind their grandmother's coffin on the procession walk from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.

One mourner, Jane Wells, of Long Sutton in Lincolnshire, told ITV that she met the Prince and said that his mother would have been proud of him. "I said how proud his mother would have been of him, and he said how hard it was yesterday because it brought back memories of his mother's funeral," said Jane.

Another well-wisher, Caroline Barwick-Walters, added, "He told us how difficult it was yesterday, how it brought back memories of walking behind his mother's coffin."

Although the Prince was clearly grieving the loss of his grandmother, the members of the public who had gathered outside of the estate spoke to the Prince about how fortunate he was that his children got to meet their great-grandmother.

"It was wonderful that your children got to meet their great-grandmother," said the fan. To which William responded, "Yes, this is it, it's important. I met my great-grandmother as well you see, she got to 101. I thought my grandmother might get a bit more."  

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral took place on Monday, September 19, 2022. Royals and dignitaries from across the globe attended the somber event.