Graham Craker, a former bodyguard of Prince William and Prince Harry known as “Crackers,” died earlier this month at the age of 77.
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According to Express, Craker was with the boys when they learned about the shocking loss of their mother, Princess Diana. He had also walked alongside them behind the hearse carrying their mother as it made its way to Westminster Abbey. He then sat in the vehicle on the way to her final resting place at Althorp House.
Craker spent 35 years with the Met police and served 15 years as a royal bodyguard before he retired in 2001.
Prince Harry previously spoke about Craker. “The bodyguard was Graham,” he said. “Willy and I liked him a lot. We always called him Crackers. We thought that was hysterical.”
Graham Craker Once Publicly Spoke About Finding Out About Princess Diana’s Shocking Death
Following his retirement, Graham Craker recalled being with the royal family when the news broke about Princess Diana being killed in the 1997 Paris car crash.
“I crept down the stairs on the house phone and dialed the duty office at Buckingham Palace,” Craker said. “They said there were reports there’d been an accident and Dodi Fayed had been killed and the Princess had broken [an] arm.”
Describing finding out that Princess Diana didn’t survive, Craker said the experience was shocking. “It was disbelief, really, and obviously a great deal of sorrow. You try and deal with it as best [as] you can, but you do get quite emotional about it.”
Craker then said, “Perhaps the most emotional was seeing William the morning after. 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.’”
Craker also spoke about being at the funeral. “I was standing at the rear of the hearse, and William looked up and acknowledged me,” he said. “I looked toward him and nodded. “
“William was comforted I was with his mum on her final journey,” he added.