Prince Edward has revealed the reason he prefers not to physically engage with members of the public.
The Earl of Wessex was joined by his wife, the Countess of Wessex, as they met with mourners before the Queen's funeral on Saturday (September 17) afternoon.
As he greeted members of the crowd, the Queen's youngest son chatted to them about where they had traveled from and kindly accepted their condolences for the loss of his mother.
Yet while he was happy to talk to the waiting members of the public, Prince Edward appeared hesitant to let any mourners actually touch him.
Despite many people reaching out to shake his hand, the Earl of Wessex opted instead to wave at the crowd.
According to a report by The Independent, Edward explained his aversion to shaking hands, saying to one mourner: "I’d love to shake hands, but have you seen how many people there are here? They’d [my hands would] fall off!"
He reportedly gave another crowd member a similar explanation, saying; "I’ve been trying to avoid it only because if I do it once, I have to shake everybody’s hand."
His wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and Forfar, collected bouquets and stuffed toys from the crowd, thanking people for their support. At one point, she even cradled a young child as she thanked people for their condolences.
While Prince Edward was eager to avoid shaking hands, other royals have been only too happy to shake the hands of well-wishers in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Both the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time shaking hands with and greeting mourners outside Windsor Castle last weekend.
On Friday, the Earl and Countess of Wessex released an official statement thanking people for their love and support for the Queen in the wake of her death.
"We have been overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect to such a very special and unique person who was always there for us," the royal couple wrote.
"And now, we are there for her, united in grief. Thank you for your support, you have no idea how much it means," they added.
Prince Edward and his wife joined the Queen's three other children - Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and King Charles III - in bidding farewell to their mother at her funeral today.
