King Charles III's health has been the talk of the royal world in recent months, leading some to ask a morbid question: What might the king's funeral one day look like?
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00:00King Charles III's health has been the talk of the royal world in recent months,
00:04leading some to ask a morbid question. What might the king's funeral one day look like?
00:09When King Charles dies, Prince William will immediately become king. As reigning monarch,
00:14he'll play a pivotal role in his father's funeral. Though Charles's death plan, Operation Menai
00:18Bridge, differs slightly from the previous monarchs, much of the same protocol with regard
00:23to funeral arrangements will remain. Sources who spoke to the Daily Beast in April 2024
00:28claimed funeral arrangements for Charles had already been updated, as the king is reportedly
00:32sicker than he's been letting on. One insider explained,
00:34"[The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date. It's no more than what you
00:38would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer.] When Elizabeth died, a solemn
00:43Charles led the funeral procession." Accordingly, William is also likely to lead the funeral
00:47procession, being both king of the United Kingdom and the royal family's eldest son.
00:51At Elizabeth's funeral, Charles made a number of moving gestures honoring his mother. For instance,
00:56he laid a handwritten note on her coffin which read,
00:59"'In loving and devoted memory, Charles R.'"
01:01It's probable William will be tasked with penning a similar tribute to his late father.
01:05Significantly, Charles also placed the queen's red flag, the company camp color of the Grenadier
01:10Guards, on her coffin. Since the queen's death, Charles was given his own flag,
01:14which William will one day be responsible for placing with his father's casket.
01:18Since King Charles' cancer diagnosis, Camilla, queen consort, has taken over some of his royal
01:23duties. But if the king dies, her role within the monarchy will immediately diminish. Camilla,
01:28who will then be known as Queen Dowager, will nevertheless play a vital role in her husband's
01:33funeral. The funeral will provide Camilla with an opportunity to commemorate Charles' personality.
01:37The king is famed, of course, for his passion for the environment.
01:41"'What we're doing with our own economy is to disrupt nature's economy.'"
01:46His love of gardening, which Camilla shares, will likely manifest in his funeral arrangements.
01:50For instance, when King George VI died in 1952, his widow, the queen mother,
01:55laid a wreath on his coffin. Seventy years later, a bouquet of flowers picked from the
01:59gardens of Buckingham Palace was placed on Queen Elizabeth II's coffin. As a tribute to his passion
02:04for horticulture, Charles' widow may wish to lay flowers from one of his treasured gardens on his
02:08coffin. These could be flowers picked from the gardens of Clarence House, the king's London
02:12residence. During Queen Elizabeth's funeral, there was a slightly toe-curling moment in
02:18which mourners had to sing God Save the King, with many accidentally singing the word
02:22Queen instead. Camilla was also seen looking somewhat awkward as she sang the words to her
02:26own husband. At Charles' funeral, Princess Catherine will also have to sing God Save
02:31the King to her newly-throned husband, which may feel rather surreal for her.
02:35Catherine, who will become queen consort when Prince William ascends the throne,
02:38is expected to arrive at the funeral in a car with her children and mother-in-law. She will
02:42then join her husband in walking behind the coffin, as Camilla did with Charles at the
02:46Queen's Memorial. The future queen consort's role will largely revolve around supporting her
02:50bereaved husband. When King George VI died, for instance, Prince Philip remained by the
02:55queen's side while ensuring he didn't overshadow the mourning monarch. Likewise, Camilla comforted
02:59Charles as he was seemingly overcome by grief at Philip's funeral in 2021.
03:05Although Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship remains frosty at best,
03:08there's no doubt that when his father dies, the former royal will want to return to the UK to
03:13pay his respects. Harry is expected to join the funeral procession along with his brother William.
03:17This follows royal tradition, with Queen Elizabeth's four children leading the
03:21procession at her funeral in 2022. The queen's children had previously held a vigil at her coffin,
03:26observing ten minutes of silence, which William and Harry are also expected to do after Charles
03:30dies. Despite playing a significant role in the funeral, Harry may have to leave his military
03:35garb at home. He was initially barred from wearing his uniform at his grandmother's funeral because
03:39such attire is reserved for working royals. Charles later allowed his youngest son to wear
03:44his uniform, but Harry opted not to, noting that the funeral was about honoring his grandmother
03:48and nothing more. He did, however, wear his medals. He will likely make a similarly understated
03:53appearance at his father's funeral. Prince William and Meghan Markle's relationship has
03:58been strained for a long time. According to bombshell revelations in Prince Harry's memoir,
04:03Spare, William viewed Meghan as an interloper from the outset and allegedly reiterated negative
04:08assumptions about the duchess propagated by the tabloids. Following the release of his brother's
04:12memoir, William has reportedly distanced himself further from Harry and Meghan. He even appeared
04:17to make a dig at the pair during King Charles' coronation concert, emphasizing that the importance
04:22of service was central to his father's values. It's quite possible that Meghan could be barred
04:32from attending her father-in-law's funeral. This will be a matter for the new king and the earl
04:36marshal, who is in charge of coordinating royal funerals. However, William may also choose not to
04:41begin his reign on a sour note, thus allowing his brother's wife to attend the service. If Meghan does
04:46appear at Charles' funeral, she can be expected to play a minor role in proceedings, supporting
04:50her husband and keeping a low profile among her fellow royals. When he dies, King Charles will
04:56leave behind five grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Archie,
05:01and Princess Lilibet. Though they're still incredibly young, Charles' grandchildren may
05:05be called upon to perform their royal duties sooner than expected. In the lead-up to Queen
05:09Elizabeth's funeral, all eight of her grandchildren stood vigil by her coffin for 15 minutes.
05:14Whether all of Charles' grandchildren will stand vigil at his coffin depends on when he dies.
05:19When the king was diagnosed with cancer, Louis was just shy of his sixth birthday,
05:23while the Sussex kids, Archie and Lilibet, were aged just four and two respectively.
05:27Subsequently, a vigil may be reserved for the older children. When Charles became king,
05:31he began to initiate his eldest grandson, George, into the traditions of
05:35the firm. He gave the preteen the vital role of page of honor during his coronation,
05:40with George becoming the youngest future monarch to play a key role in a coronation.
05:44The gesture was a testament to Charles' faith in his grandson, as well as an evident acknowledgement
05:48of the level of service he will inevitably have to undertake if he himself becomes king.
05:52As such, George may also be given a significant role in Charles' funeral.
05:57Since her brother's cancer diagnosis in 2024, Princess Anne has increased her share of royal
06:02duties. Because of this, she may be given a prominent role in King Charles' funeral,
06:06with the future King William perhaps expressing gratitude to his aunt for her work as Princess
06:11Royal. Anne's dedication is particularly notable, considering that William himself has been absent
06:16from some royal duties due to his wife's cancer diagnosis. In the days leading up to Queen
06:20Elizabeth's funeral, Anne made history as the first woman to ever participate in the vigil
06:24of the princes. She was also the only woman to walk in the funeral procession. Along with most
06:29of her brothers, she did so in military garb. Seeing as William will likely be keen to modernize
06:34the monarchy when he takes the throne, there's little doubt that he will want his aunt to once
06:38again walk the procession and hold vigil at his father's funeral.
06:42Ever since his association with Jeffrey Epstein came to light, Prince Andrew has been essentially
06:46exiled by the royal family. Following his now infamous car crash interview with BBC Newsnight
06:51in 2019, Andrew stepped back from royal duties. By 2022, he had been stripped of his military
07:07titles and the right to use his HRH designation. Andrew's public humiliation and black sheep
07:12status were palpable at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Despite being a Falklands War veteran,
07:16Andrew was barred from wearing his military uniform, standing out as an anomaly among his
07:20three siblings, who were all decked out in the regalia. It's highly probable that he will be
07:25similarly relegated to pariah status at King Charles' funeral. Considering that some royal
07:30insiders have suggested Prince William wishes to distance the monarchy from his scandal-ridden
07:34uncle, it's inconceivable that he will want Andrew to play a prominent role in Charles' funeral.
07:38Andrew may simply walk the procession before disappearing into the background along with
07:42fellow mourners, the disgraced prince serving as a reminder of an era that William will likely
07:47wish to forget. As King Charles' youngest brother, Prince Edward can be expected to join
07:52his siblings in leading the funeral procession when the monarch dies. Along with his sister,
07:56Princess Anne, Edward will be permitted to wear a military uniform as he pays his respects to
08:01his brother and holds vigil by his casket. However, Charles' sister-in-law, Sophie,
08:05Duchess of Edinburgh, is not expected to play a major part in the funeral. As she did during
08:10Queen Elizabeth's funeral, Sophie can be expected to join the final moments of the procession in
08:14the church before observing the service. When the queen died, Sophie was seen comforting her
08:18husband, handing him a handkerchief as he wept for his late mother. Her role during Charles'
08:23funeral will likely be similar, with the duchess offering her husband some much-needed support as
08:27he mourns the loss of his brother. At Queen Elizabeth's funeral, Princess Beatrice and
08:32Princess Eugenie were mere background players among a sea of mourners. The princesses also
08:37made headlines when they mysteriously disappeared during their grandmother's funeral.
08:40Though the sisters did not play prominent roles in the queen's service,
08:44it's possible Prince William may give Beatrice a weightier role when King Charles dies.
08:48Following Charles' cancer diagnosis, Beatrice has been stepping up and taking on unofficial
08:52royal engagements, leading to speculation that she could become a working royal.
08:56In March 2024, Newsweek's royal correspondent told Times Radio about the possibility.
09:01I think actually bringing Beatrice and Eugenie into the fold, if they are willing,
09:06could actually really help the royals quite a lot.
09:08Beatrice's commitment to the firm has reportedly left William particularly impressed. A source told
09:13OK! magazine,
09:14Both the king and William have seen how well Beatrice has stepped up in recent weeks,
09:17and that's why they are happy to push her to the front and represent the family in public.
09:21Although the move is currently being seen as a temporary unofficial role,
09:24it could become more permanent in the future. If the princess is made a working royal,
09:28she can be expected to play a bigger part in Charles' funeral, perhaps tasked with
09:32tending to his coffin or even holding vigil alongside her cousins.
09:36The same cannot be said for Eugenie, however, who is reportedly happy living a life free of duty.
09:40Her role in Charles' funeral will be similar,
09:43if not identical, to her muted presence during Queen Elizabeth's memorial service.
09:48Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, is the only person to have ever walked in both the
09:51funeral processions of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. A cousin of Elizabeth,
09:56he is believed to have played a notable role in her funeral due to the two sharing a close
10:00relationship. If he survives to see Charles' funeral, the duke might be expected to walk
10:04in the funeral procession, although he could play a much less prominent part in the proceedings.
10:08In April 2024, Edward announced that he was stepping back from his duties as
10:12Colonel of the Scots Guards, a role he had held since 1974. His decision to
10:17withdraw from his duties perhaps signifies that the hard-working royal,
10:20aged 88 when he retired, might not have the same vigor that he once did.
10:24As such, it's possible that, if Edward outlives Charles, he might need to take
10:28a step back during the funeral, if for no other reason than the sake of his own health.