'Heartache' for Prince William and Harry as childhood bodyguard dies
Harry previously spoke about Graham Craker
Prince William and Prince Harry are mourning the death of Graham Craker, the devoted former royal bodyguard who was by their side during one of the darkest chapters of their young lives – the death of their mother, Princess Diana.
Graham was affectionately nicknamed “Crackers” by the young princes. The Sun reports he has died at the age of 77.
He played a pivotal role in their childhoods and stood by them during significant moments, including Diana’s funeral in 1997.
Prince William and Prince Harry mourn death of childhood bodyguard
According to reports, Graham Craker served with the Metropolitan Police for 35 years. This included 15 years as a royal bodyguard, before retiring in 2001.
His steadfast dedication earned him the prestigious Member of the Royal Victorian Order. Queen Elizabeth II awarded him this for his service to the royal family.
Willy and I liked him a lot. We always called him Crackers.
Beyond his career, he was known for his gentle nature, humour, and loyalty to the young princes. He even attended Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011 as a personal guest.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalled Graham with great affection. He recalled Graham being with them on the day of Diana’s funeral in September 1997.
“The driver had to keep pulling over so the bodyguard could get out and clear the flowers off the windscreen,” Harry wrote. “The bodyguard was Graham. Willy and I liked him a lot. We always called him Crackers. We thought that was hysterical.”
Craker was also with William and Harry on the day they learned of their mother’s death in a car crash in Paris, in August 1997. At the time, the princes were staying at Balmoral with their father and grandparents.
In a moving interview in a documentary on Diana’s death, Graham described the heartbreaking moment he found out.
Graham said: “I crept down the stairs to the house phone and dialled the duty office at Buckingham Palace. They said there were reports there’d been an accident and Dodi Fayed had been killed and the princess had a broken arm.”
However, the news quickly turned devastating.
He added: “It was disbelief, really, and obviously a great deal of sorrow. You try and deal with it as best you can but you do get quite emotional about it.”
Prince William was ‘comforted’ by Graham’s presence
Graham walked behind Diana’s hearse alongside William, Harry, their father Prince Charles, and Diana’s brother Earl Spencer during her funeral procession from St James’s Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Later, he rode in the front seat of the hearse that carried the princess to her final resting place at Althorp House.
Footage from the day also shows him stepping out repeatedly to clear flowers thrown by mourners from the windscreen.
In a 2017 interview with the New York Post, Graham recalled a conversation he had with William after Diana’s death.
“Perhaps the most emotional was seeing William the morning after,” he said. “I saw William walking his dog outside, and I walked up to him and said, ‘I’m very, very sorry to hear your bad news.’ William very sadly said, ‘Thank you.'”
He added of travelling in the hearse at Diana’s funeral: “I was standing at the rear of the hearse and William looked up and acknowledged me. I looked toward him and nodded. William was comforted I was with his mum on her final journey.”
Graham also joined a young William and Harry, and their mother Diana, in 1994 when they visited Alton Towers theme park.
According to reports, after his retirement, Graham continued to give back, volunteering for charities in his local town of Ware, Hertfordshire.
Though a spokesman for Prince William declined to comment, according to The Sun, Graham’s passing will likely be deeply felt by both William and Harry. They likely shared a profound bond with the man who protected them through their most vulnerable years.
Royal Insider has reached out to reps for William and Harry for comment.
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