Prince William Says Walk Behind Queen's Coffin 'Brought Back a Few Memories'

Prince William said walking behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin "brought back a few memories" as he spoke to well-wishers on Sept. 15.

"The walk yesterday was challenging," William told a crowd gathered at Sandringham Estate. "Brought back a few memories."

William and his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, viewed flowers and other memorials honoring the queen while at Sandringham, where the queen often spent her winters.

William and his brother, Prince Harry, walked side by side behind their grandmother's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Sept. 14, reminding many of the same walk the pair made behind their mother's coffin 25 years ago.

Harry and William walked behind the queen's four children: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Camilla, Queen Consort, and Kate followed behind in a car.

The queen's eldest son Charles became king following Elizabeth's death on Sept. 8. Buckingham Palace announced her death in a statement, saying she "died peacefully" while at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands at age 96. She was Britain's longest-serving monarch.

The United Kingdom began a period of mourning for the queen following her death. Her coffin spent several days in Scotland before heading to Britain, where it has been lying in state at Westminster Hall for the British public to pay their respects.

The queen's children will hold a 15-minute vigil around her coffin on Sept. 16, and William and Harry will stand vigil for 15 minutes on Sept. 17.

The queen's funeral is scheduled for Sept. 19. Following the service, her coffin will head to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park and then to Windsor Castle, her final resting place.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com