Why Royal Fans Are Absolutely Gutted For Princess Charlotte At The Queen's Funeral
All over the world, people are expressing their sadness and solidarity with the royal family as they grieve the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch's funeral is expected to break a major record as the most-watched live TV event.
Viewers have particularly sympathized with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. According to The Guardian, at ages 9 and 7, Elizabeth's great-grandchildren are the youngest mourners in attendance, and George and Charlotte's role in the queen's funeral was a much-considered decision.
"As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them," an insider told the Daily Mail of the Prince and Princess of Wales. "Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it." Both children attended Prince Philip's memorial service in March 2022.
Dressed in a black hat and coat, Charlotte accompanied George, who was dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie. The children walked between their parents, William and Catherine, as the family followed the queen's coffin, per Express.
"Their grand mama would be so proud," one royal fan tweeted. "Their behaviour and attitude is absolute, how mature and respectful. They take their role seriously at such a young age." Princess Charlotte even paid a touching tribute to the queen by wearing a horseshoe-shaped brooch that Elizabeth had given her.
While Charlotte was stoic for the service, the young girl's actions afterward pulled at the heartstrings of royal fans.
Princess Charlotte appeared to burst into tears
At one point, Princess Charlotte appeared to be crying in a photo taken after the queen's funeral service at Westminster Abbey. The young girl was photographed with her hands covering her eyes, per Manchester Evening News. Charlotte and her siblings shared a close bond with the queen and affectionately referred to her as "Gan Gan," per Vogue.
Charlotte's show of emotion brought many royal fans to tears. "Princess Charlotte crying has me bawling my eyes out at work," tweeted one fan. Parents sympathized with both children. "The photos of Prince George and Princess Charlotte are just hitting my mama heart 10 fold," another tweeted, per Express. "Losing their great grandmother and having to grieve in front of the world is heartbreaking."
Other fans felt common ground with the young royal. "The image of Princess Charlotte crying struck a chord with me," one wrote. "She's just a young girl who lost her great-grandmother who loved horses just like she does."
As noted by Page Six, wider shots of the photo reveal Catherine Middleton, Princess of Wales, comforting her daughter. However, Charlotte also comforted her mother, according to body language expert Judi James.
"Kate was silent and dignified in her grief, placing a gently comforting hand on Charlotte's back a couple of times, although it was Charlotte leaning to whisper to her mother in the service and actually mirroring her mother's body language to show a display of unity," said James, per The U.S. Sun.
Some people think the princess wasn't actually crying
Based on her earlier stoicism during Queen Elizabeth's funeral, not everyone agrees that Princess Charlotte was actually crying. According to Hello! Magazine, it is possible that the young princess was "wiping something from her eyes or perhaps shielding them from the sun."
"[W]here it seems that Charlotte is crying and while it would've been completely understandable, I don't think it's true," tweeted one fan. "As you can see she doesn't appear to have just stopped crying. I believe she only had something in her eyes." "Yes I think so too!" replied another. "Just saw a pic of her with the eyes closed as if they were about to get itchy!"
Around the time that the presumed crying photo was taken, Charlotte had been dutifully aware of royal protocol. Royal fans were delighted to observe Charlotte and Prince George's chatter at Wellington Arch. While the queen's coffin was placed in the hearse, Charlotte instructed her brother to bow, per Manchester Evening News.
"Princess Charlotte is such a boss," commented one fan, recognizing the important role that the young girl already plays in guiding her brother, who will one day be king. "Princess Charlotte is so like Princess Anne," another remarked, giving a nod to the Princess Royal's important role as a trusted advisor to King Charles III (via The New York Times).