Heartbreaking funeral comparison drawn between King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II

The world was deeply saddened by the image of Queen Elizabeth II sitting alone in the pews of St George Chapel during the funeral of her husband, Prince Phillip on April 17, 2021.

But just 17 months later, King Charles III finds himself in the exact same seat, now mourning not only the death of his father, but also his mother.

The committal service for Queen Elizabeth saw her son, now King Charles, leading not just his family, but the world, in mourning his "darling mama".

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But while the Queen mourned on her own, the King had the support of his family during this difficult time, including his siblings, children, and grandchildren.

One seat was noticeably empty during the solemn service, drawing questions from the public.

The seat directly in front of King Charles and next to Prince Edward in the pews of St George's Chapel was left empty purely due to logistical reasons - the reigning monarch must have a clear and unobstructed view of the ceremony.

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Queen Elizabeth similarly required such a view at her grandson Prince Harry's wedding to wife Meghan Markle back in 2018.

At the time, though, many believed the seat was left open in a symbolic gesture to the late Princess Diana - a theory further pushed by the fact that it was the seat closest to Prince Harry, and the one next to Prince William.