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Princes William, Harry will NOT walk side by side at Prince Philip’s funeral

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Updated on April 16, 2021

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Prince William and Prince Harry will not walk side by side into the church on Saturday while they accompany their grandfather’s coffin into the church ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral, avoiding some uncomfortable moments between the brothers who have been at odds after Harry’s decision to step down from royal duties last year.

RELATED: Prince Philip’s funeral will NOT reconcile William and Harry

According to Alexander de Montfort, senior secretary to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, the brothers’ cousin Peter Phillips will walk between them as they accompany the coffin.

A palace spokesman informed Reuters on Thursday that the memorial service, which has been pared down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would represent Prince Philip’s “military affiliations” and “personal elements” of his existence. A small parade, a custom-built land rover hearse, and the Duke’s naval cap and sword are among the items on display.

It will be their first public outing since Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave a bombshell interview to American media personality Oprah Winfrey last month, in which the pair made numerous disclosures and accusations regarding the royal family’s treatment of them.

The funeral program for Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, who died on April 9 at the age of 99, was issued by Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

When questioned about whether the location of William and Harry was intended to reduce family friction, palace officials declined to answer. Tensions have risen after Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave an incendiary interview to Oprah Winfrey in which they said an unidentified member of the royal family made a racist comment to Harry before the birth of their child Archie.

Because of their honorary military responsibilities in the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, members of the royal family often carry uniforms to public functions, but Harry dropped his honorary military titles when he agreed to step down from frontline royal duties last year. As a consequence, Harry, an army veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan, is expected to only wear a suit with awards at royal ceremonies, according to protocol.

Although those of military rank, such as Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince William, are expected to wear their uniforms to state occasions, the entire royal family will be dressed in traditional mourning apparel for Prince Philip’s funeral.

Following internal arguments about which members of the family will be required to wear their military uniform — and what sort of uniform — on Saturday, the Queen accepted the last-minute alteration in dress code.

A 15-member procession will be led by Prince Charles, the heir to the throne and father of the princes, and his niece, Princess Anne.

Andrew, Philip’s other daughters, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, as well as a few other royals and officials, will accompany William and Harry in the ceremonial procession.

The Duke of Sussex mentioned the brothers’ strained relationship in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, saying that there was “space” in their relationship.

He said, “I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths.”

According to de Montfort, Philip’s coffin would be borne on top of a specially adapted Land Rover that he helped build, with Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family following in vehicles.