Inside Westminster Hall today, Prince Harry was overtaken with emotion as he honoured Queen Elizabeth II for her touching lying-in-state service.
As the deceased monarch’s coffin was placed in the hall, photographs captured the Duke of Sussex shielding his eyes and looking down while covering his head with his hand.
He stands next to the Duchess of Sussex, who has a sombre expression on her face and is wearing a suit adorned with medals.
Princes Harry and William, along with their respective wives Meghan and Kate, set aside their bitter rivalry to pay respects to their grandmother.
While the siblings walked together during the 38-minute procession from Buckingham Palace, their spouses travelled in separate cars, with Meghan accompanied by the Countess of Wessex and Kate by Camilla, the Queen Consort.
During the service, the ‘Fab Four’ stood in formation facing the coffin on its purple-covered catafalque, which was flanked by tall, yellow flickering candles at each corner of the wide scarlet platform in the heart of Westminster Hall – the setting for some of the most iconic moments in British history.
The Sussexes stood at the rear of the royal group, with Meghan standing behind Kate and Harry directly behind William. It is the first time the couples have been seen together since their surprise walkabout at Windsor Castle on Saturday, and it is a rare display of unity.
As the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II entered Westminster Hall, the choirs of Westminster Abbey and His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace, sang Psalm 139. Charles, William, and Anne saluted the Queen upon her entrance. Harry and Prince Andrew, who were prohibited from wearing military uniforms, instead bowed their heads.
The Archbishop of Canterbury then read the opening prayer, which was led by the King on behalf of the royals. The family stood in silence during the brief service that the late queen had arranged with the Church of England before her death at age 96.
God save the King cries could be heard as the King and Queen Consort left Westminster Hall at 3.30pm, following the dismissal of the congregation. Royal couples exited the building together, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding hands and the Princess of Wales reassuringly rubbing her husband’s arm.
Mourners have been able to file past the coffin to pay their respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch since 5 p.m. An estimated 1 million people are expected to queue for up to 30 hours to see her before her state funeral on Monday.