The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, at the center of an ongoing rift, will walk alongside their father as the coffin makes the journey to Westminster Hall on Wednesday evening. Kate and Meghan Markle will travel by car with Queen Consort Camilla and the Countess of Wessex. Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward will also walk in the somber procession, as will Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Peter Phillips, the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon. The procession will leave the Palace at 2.22pm and is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. A service lasting approximately 20 minutes will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the Dean of Westminster. It comes after William, Harry and their wives joined a united front on Saturday for a surprise jaunt to Windsor Castle to view floral tributes and greet well-wishers. The two couples also joined other members of the royal family to receive the late Queen’s coffin at Buckingham Palace this evening after her final journey from Scotland. The once-close siblings have been embroiled in a royal rift in recent years, but have put aside their differences in grieving for their beloved grandmother. The so-called Fab Four delighted royal fans as they stepped out for a stroll outside the royal Berkshire residence over the weekend. The rare joint outing came after the Prince of Wales extended an olive branch to the Sussexes, who live at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. A royal source said: “The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.” Harry also has a troubled relationship with his father but vowed to “honour” him as he begins his reign in a tribute to the late Queen earlier this week. Meanwhile, Charles referred to the Sussexes in his televised address to the nation on Friday, saying: “I also want to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives abroad.” The last time Charles, William and Harry were seen together in public was at the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. The appearance was the Sussexes’ first alongside the Windsors since Megxit saw them step down from royal duties more than two years ago. Harry and Meghan are pursuing new lives of personal and financial freedom in the US after stepping down as members of the royal family in March 2020. However, they were already in the UK as part of a trip to Europe to carry out charity engagements when the late Queen died peacefully at Balmoral last Thursday. The Sussexes made a series of damaging claims about the monarchy in their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, while the Duke’s memoirs will be published later this year. It comes as members of the public are already queuing to attend the Queen’s lie-in at Westminster Hall, which begins at 5pm on Wednesday. It will continue until 6.30 on the morning of September 19 – the day of the state funeral. People are expected to queue for hours to pay their respects to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.
