Prince William has revealed that walking at the Procession to Lying in State for his grandmother's funeral evoked painful memories of his mother Princess Diana and her funeral 25 years ago.
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The Prince of Wales and his brother Prince Harry walked behind the Queen's coffin on Wednesday in a scene reminiscent of when they followed the casket of their late mother in 1997 following her untimely death at the age of 36.
WATCH: Prince William and Prince Harry walk side by side during Queen's procession
Jane Wells, who was at Sandringham on Thursday to lay flowers, revealed William admitted to her that thoughts of his mother's funeral were at the forefront of his mind as he, along with brother Harry, followed the Queen's coffin on its journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
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She said: "He told us yesterday had been particularly difficult and following the coffin had reminded him of his mother's funeral, of Diana"
"He said it had been very difficult," she added while another crowd member told the emotional Prince she was close to tears, to which he replied: "Don't cry now - you'll start me."
Meanwhile, pictures of the two Princes at the procession shared on social media caused a huge outpouring of emotions. One wrote in response to the emotional photos: "This breaks my heart. It looks like Prince William's jaw is clenched in an attempt to keep his composure.
"After the death of their mother, I'm sure they looked at the Queen as a mother figure and someone that was a constant in their lives. Seeing their faces as little boys is so heartbreaking. So many difficult emotions to navigate at a young age. I'm glad they have their wives and children as comforts now."
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"I kept thinking of those heartbreaking photos from Diana's memorial. So hard to be on display in grief. Such an intrusion," another added, while American television personality Katie Couric also weighed in.
"Prince Harry and Prince William walked side by side behind their grandmother Queen Elizabeth's coffin today, a scene reminiscent of when, as boys 25 years ago, they followed their mother Princess Diana's casket," she wrote as she compared the photos from 1997 and this year.
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