Princess Charlotte's attendance at her great-grandmother's funeral drew both tears and jeers from royal watchers.
But one thing in particular the young princess did at the ceremony has everyone devastated.
It's not typical for young members of the royal family to have formal roles in state
funerals, but Princess Charlotte and Prince George proved to be an exception for Queen
Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey.
All eyes were particularly trained on Princess Charlotte, especially since the young royal
was rumored to be the queen's favorite great-grandchild.
Kate Middleton noted that the monarch was "really thrilled" upon finding out that she
and Prince William were welcoming a daughter before she was born.
The Princess of Wales said in an ITV documentary:
"As soon as we came back [from the hospital] she was one of our first visitors.I think
she is very fond of Charlotte, always watching what she's up to."
A source also noted that the two had a close bond.
The source told Express UK:
"Charlotte's facial resemblance to the Queen as a young girl is marked and [...] she is
often seen close to the Queen looking happy and relaxed, suggesting a mutually close relationship."
The princess was named after her great-grandmother, too.
Her full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, which honors both Queen Elizabeth and her
grandmother, Princess Diana.
With Princess Charlotte's participation in the queen's funeral, many couldn't help but
pay close attention to how she would react, seeing as emotions were running high throughout
the somber ceremony.
That said, the public sympathized with Princess Charlotte when she burst into tears upon seeing
her great-grandmother transported from the gun carriage to a hearse vehicle.
Her mother came to the rescue, however, and offered comfort by patting the 7-year-old's back.
Kate was also seen holding her daughter's hand as they made their way inside Westminster Abbey.
On Twitter, fans expressed concern over Princess Charlotte's participation in the funeral,
saying how she shouldn't have attended in the first place.
One fan tweeted:
"She should never have been there.
There was no good reason to put those children on display like that."
Another wrote:
"William and Kate shouldn't have paraded her in front of the world like this in her time of grief."
But sources say that Prince William and Kate tried their best to offer a solid support
system for their children after the queen's death.
Kate personally delivered the news to her children to soften the blow.
An insider told Closer Weekly:
"Kate used her words carefully and said that Elizabeth is in heaven with Prince Philip.
There were lots of tears and hugs, and naturally, the children are upset."
"I think when you look at the Cambridge children they have had so much change in the last couple of weeks."
The parents also helped their kids establish a routine to avoid dwelling too much on the
queen's death.
Kate told the crowd in Sandringham:
"They're okay.
They're in school, being well looked after.
They're in a routine, and they're happy.
They're with new friends."
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were commended by many as they displayed exemplary
behavior at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
Mark Tewksbury, a member of the Order of Canada, told People:
"They looked like really incredibly well-behaved kids but [...] a little like, 'Wow, this is a lot.'
For little Prince George, this will be him one day, and he doesn't really know that yet.
And then I thought, 'Ah, he's just lost his great-grandmother.'"
Princess Charlotte even made it a point to remind her older brother that he had to bow
when the funeral cortège passed.
Fans online noticed their behavior as well, with one Twitter user writing,
"Really impressed with how Prince George and Princess Charlotte behaved yesterday.
Although they are not the first 9- and 7-year-old to go to a funeral, not everyone goes to a
funeral that big, where the eyes of the world are literally on them.
A testament to their parents' parenting."
The young royal paid tribute to her great-grandmother by way of clothing, too.
Princess Charlotte was seen sporting a small pendant in the shape of a horseshoe, which
Vogue noted may be a nod to the queen's penchant for horses and racing.