Queen Elizabeth II 'moved' by little girl's gesture amid 'unpleasant' atmosphere in the wake of Princess Diana's death
The moment happened when the monarch returned to London days after the tragedyQueen Elizabeth II reportedly “realised that it was her duty to fulfil her role as the nation’s leader in a time of crisis” after the death of Princess Diana, a royal book claimed.
It’s been 28 years since Diana tragically died on August 31, 1997, at the age of just 36, following a car accident in Paris. She left behind her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. They were just 15 and 12 at the time.
The former Princess of Wales’ death sparked an outpouring of grief around the world. Mourners gathered in London to leave tributes to the princess after the news broke.
However, according to royal author Valentine Low, there was some public outrage over the queen being “cloistered up in Balmoral rather than coming to London to act as a public expression of national mourning”.
Why Queen Elizabeth faced criticism after Princess Diana’s death
At the time of Diana’s death, members of the royal family were at Balmoral in Scotland for their annual summer break.
William and Harry were at the estate with their grandmother, grandfather Prince Philip, and their father, then-Prince Charles.
The queen remained at Balmoral for a few days, looking after a grieving William and Harry.
But the public scrutiny was mounting. In his 2022 book, Courtiers, Low claimed: “It had been noticed that there was no flag flying at half-mast over Buckingham Palace, an omission that was taken to mean that the royal family did not care.”
On September 5, days after Diana’s death, Queen Elizabeth II returned to London with Philip, Charles, William, and Harry. They spoke with mourners outside Buckingham Palace.
She also delivered a televised speech that day from the palace.
Low wrote in the book: “By Thursday, the public mood had built up to such a pitch. Not just over the flag but also over the fact that the queen was cloistered up in Balmoral rather than coming to London to act as a public expression of national mourning – that compromise became inevitable.
“The queen realised that it was her duty to fulfil her role as the nation’s leader in a time of crisis.”
No, Your Majesty. These are for you.
The Union Flag flew over the palace at half-mast on Saturday morning (September 6, 1997), the day of Diana’s funeral.
As the queen and Prince Philip spoke with mourners outside Buckingham Palace on September 5, according to Low, palace officials “were fraught with anxiety over how people would respond to her presence”.
However, one sweet gesture from a little girl in the crowd marked a turning point.
Little girl’s gesture to monarch
Katie Jones, who was 11 at the time, was in the crowd when the queen and other members of the royal family arrived in London.
In a 2017 Channel 5 documentary, Katie recalled how she was holding flowers when the queen approached her. The monarch asked Katie if she’d like her to place the flowers among the tributes left for Diana.
However, Katie told the queen that the flowers were actually for her.
Low claimed that Queen Elizabeth was “visibly moved” by the gesture.
‘The attitude of the crowd was unpleasant’
In the Channel 5 documentary, Diana: 7 Days That Shook, Katie recalled the moment with her grandmother, Enid Jones.
After telling the queen the flowers were for her, Katie said: “She’d held my hand at this point, she was shaking. She sort of questioned me like, ‘Are you sure?’
Read more: Princess Diana’s heartwarming confession about the late Queen Elizabeth II revealed in unseen letter
“I was like, ‘I think you deserve them, I think you’ve done the right thing staying with your grandsons.’ I think I actually said you know, ‘If my mum had just died, I’d want my grandma with me.'”
Enid added of the day: “The attitude of the crowd was unpleasant. It was something which I have never, ever seen before in any royal occasion, ever.”
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Buckingham Palace for comment.
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