Prince William and Prince Harry, who have been estranged for several years, surprised their fans by presenting a united front nearly two years ago. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to view floral tributes and meet with the public who had gathered to pay their respects.
It was later revealed that Prince William had sent a last-minute text to Prince Harry, inviting him and Meghan to join him and Kate on the Long Walk in Windsor.This marked the first public reunion of the two couples, previously known as the ‘Fab Four’, since the Sussexes stepped back from their roles as senior royals and moved to the US.
During the 40-minute walkabout, both couples, dressed in black, were seen shaking hands with people, accepting flowers and other gifts, such as Paddington Bear stuffed toys. Despite appearing slightly nervous, they spent nearly an hour chatting with the waiting fans outside the castle grounds.
A well-placed source told the Daily Mail that Prince William decided to extend the olive branch to his younger brother, and it was “absolutely not the case” that this was done on the direction of their father, the new king, as previously believed. Suggestions that William made the move after hearing Harry was planning his walkabout with a film crew were dismissed as “complete b******s”.
It is believed that Prince William had already considered viewing the flowers and greeting well-wishers with Harry before reaching out to him via text, which the Duke of Sussex acknowledged. William felt that a show of unity was crucial during a period of national mourning out of respect for their grandmother.
Both brothers flew to Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to bid a final farewell to their grandmother but tragically missed her as she passed away at 3:10 pm. The same day, Prince William joined King Charles for dinner at his nearby Birkhall residence, while Harry remained at Balmoral to have dinner with other family members.