Prince Harry's 'Sweet' Gesture to Make Meghan Markle Comfortable During Funeral Service Revealed by Guest

By Stephen Andrew

Prince Harry offered a "sweet" gesture to make his wife Meghan Markle comfortable during the Queen's funeral service. The thoughtful moment was revealed to PEOPLE by funeral guest and attorney Pranav Bhanot. He shared a bit of what he witnessed between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the memorial service for Harry's grandmother at Westminster Abbey.

"You saw the reassurance that Harry was giving to Meghan at times when they were walking together and had to go in their different directions," Bhanot told the outlet. "I noticed just how supportive Harry was to Meghan. When they went their separate directions after the ceremony, he gave her a firm squeeze of the hand. I felt he wanted to ensure she felt comfortable."

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning royal monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms died on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 96 years old. Her death comes just under 18 months after the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of more than 73 years. The Queen died at Balmoral, her beloved palace in the Scottish Highlands, which was purchased by her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Charles, her eldest son — and Harry's father — succeeds her as leader of the British monarchy.

Interestingly, during the coffin procession for Queen Elizabeth II, many noticed that Harry didn't salute his grandmother's casket. According to Us Weekly, Harry and his uncle Prince Andrew wore mourning suits for the procession, while many of their family members — including Harry's father King Charles III, and his brother Prince William — were adorned in their military service wardrobe. This is because neither Harry nor Andrew are working members of the Royal Family any longer. Therefore they were expected to simply now their heads in reverence rather than salute the coffin, even though both men did serve in the British military.

Prince Harry was later spotted crying at a memorial for his grandmother. On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II's casket was taken from Buckingham Palace and transported to Westminster Hall in a procession that included a number of the Royal Family members, such as Harry, 38, and his brother William, 40. Once inside Westminster, William and Harry were joined by their spouses, Kate Middleton and Markle, for the Service for the Reception of Her Majesty's Coffin. Inside Westminster, cameras captured Harry's tears, which he wiped away while paying tribute to his late grandmother, as published by ET Online.  

0comments
Start the Conversation

of