Princess Diana’s Funeral: The Details of Her Royal Ceremonial

During her funeral procession, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer and her two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, walked behind her coffin. At the time, William and Harry were just 15 and 12 years old, respectively.

The decision to have Prince William and Prince Harry walk behind the coffin was a topic of contention. William confirmed in the 2017 BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, “It wasn’t an easy decision, and it was a collective family decision to do that. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But we were overwhelmed by how many people turned out, it was just incredible. There was that balance between duty and family and that’s what we had to do.”

Harry recalled, “I think it was a group decision. But before I knew it, I found myself with a suit on with a black tie and a white shirt, I think, and I was part of it. Genuinely, I don’t have an opinion on whether that was right or wrong. I am glad I was part of it. Looking back on it now, I am very glad I was part of it.”

Who attended Princess Diana’s funeral? 

The ceremony in Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 people, including members of the royal family, Princess Diana’s relatives, political figures and her close celebrity friends.

Among the attendees were Hillary Rodham Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Mariah Carey, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Elton John, the latter of which sang a rendition of “Candle in the Wind” during the service, with new lyrics written as a tribute to Diana.

How many people watched Princess Diana’s funeral? 

Not only was the funeral attended by many, but countless people tuned in on television. It’s said that the funeral brought in over 32 million British television audiences and over 2 billion people worldwide, making it one of the biggest televised events in history.