In addition to reports disclosing details about the passing of Prince Harry and Prince William’s former bodyguard, his sons have spoken out about the tragedy.
Prince William and Prince Harry are mourning the loss of Graham Craker, their former royal bodyguard and a significant presence during their childhood. He played an important role in their lives, especially during the days following the death of their mother, Princess Diana. He was 77 years old.
Graham Craker at the Eton Tea Party in Eton, England on June 16, 1999. | Source: Getty Images
Known affectionately as “Crackers” by the young princes, the late bodyguard was by their side as they walked behind their mom’s coffin from St James’s Palace to Westminster Abbey in 1997 and later rode in the front seat of the hearse transporting her to her final resting place at Althorp House.
In widely shared footage from that day, he was seen getting out of the car to clear flowers that had been thrown onto the windscreen by mourners lining the route.
Harry reflected on this in his memoir “Spare,” recalling that “the bodyguard was Graham” and that he and William were fond of him, often calling him by his nickname with amusement. Graham had been a constant figure in their early lives and was even photographed with them during a family outing to Alton Towers in 1994.
His enduring relationship with the royal family was also evident when he attended William and Princess Catherine’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
Graham also served 35 years with the Metropolitan Police, 15 of those assigned to royal protection. His commitment to duty earned him recognition from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who appointed him a Member of the Royal Victorian Order for his service to the royal family.
After retiring in 2001, he remained active by volunteering for charities in Ware, Hertfordshire. Following Diana’s fatal car crash in Paris, Graham was at Balmoral Castle with the royal family when the news broke.
He recalled making a call to Buckingham Palace and learning, at first, that Dodi Fayed had died and Diana had sustained a broken arm. The full extent of the tragedy became clear shortly afterward, and Graham described the moment of realizing Diana had died as one of disbelief and deep sorrow.
“My colleagues there were saying they’d never seen anything like it before. There was a cloud over London. It was like slow motion … Everybody could feel the sadness,” expressed Graham when asked about Diana’s passing in a past interview.
Graham is survived by family members, including his two sons James and Matthew Craker, who took to Facebook to pen an emotional message about their dad’s passing. More details on the story will follow shortly.