Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth II—and the moment they put their rift aside to mourn for her—went viral on TikTok.
The two brothers were both close with their grandmother in life and also paid their respects together as she lay in state at Westminster Hall in the days before her funeral in September 2022.
Royal fans on TikTok celebrated the queen’s role as a grandmother to the two princes in a post that was liked 31,100 times and viewed 387,000 times.
Why It Matters
Harry and Meghan Markle went to great lengths to present themselves as close to the queen prior to her death, with Harry telling presenter Hoda Kotb on Today that they had a special relationship with her.
Meanwhile, William was guided by the queen as the direct heir to the throne, including during his school days at Eton when he would visit her at Windsor Castle.
What To Know
The TikTok video begins with footage of Prince William leading a vigil of Elizabeth’s grandchildren, with Harry behind him followed by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and then Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, and finally Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.
Buckingham Palace had only planned a vigil for the queen’s children but added one in for her grandchildren to give Harry an opportunity to wear his military uniform in her honor, reflecting his service on the front line in Afghanistan.
The edit then cuts to moments the queen shared with William and Harry in life, including when she made William laugh as he stood to attention during the Sovereign’s Parade, marking his graduation from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, on December 15, 2006.
A series of clips then follow of Harry greeting Elizabeth with a kiss on both cheeks.
What People Are Saying
Prince William opened up recently about his grief for the queen on actor Eugene Levy’s Apple TV show The Reluctant Traveller. “I do actually, yeah, I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather,” he said.
“It’s been quite a bit of change, so you do sort of, you think about them not being here any more, and particularly being in Windsor—for me Windsor is her.”
“She loved it here, she spent most of her time here,” he added in reference to Windsor Castle.
After Elizabeth’s death, Harry said in a statement: “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.”
One fan responded to the TikTok video saying, “she was a mothers for them, too,” while another said: “I still cry that she’s gone ❤️she was beautiful lady.”
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