The reunion between Princes William and Harry as they viewed tributes to their late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was ‘what she would have wanted’, royal experts have said.
The grieving brothers were consoled by well-wishers when they put on a united front during a mammoth walkabout outside Windsor Castle on the day their father was proclaimed King.
William, the new Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Sussex have a well-documented troubled relationship, but their differences were put to one side as they came together to meet the crowds.
The future king extended the olive branch to his brother, with a royal source saying he ‘thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family’.
It came after King Charles III acknowledged the Sussexes in his historic first address to the nation as sovereign.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Metro.co.uk the new monarch’s speech ‘sounded very much like he was putting the ball in their court’.
He said: ‘The Queen always tried to play peacemaker and keep a cold bond with Harry and Meghan so it’s likely that Charles would want to step into her shoes and carry that on in her honour.
‘The Queen’s dying wish would have been for the tension to be resolved and for Harry and William to reunite.
‘It seems as though the loss of their grandmother has made them realise they need to let bygones be bygones.’
Queen Elizabeth II dead: What happens next?
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the throne, her death announced by Buckingham Palace on September 8, 2022.
She died at the age of 96 at her home in Balmoral, with her son, the now King Charles, and daughter Princess Anne by her side.
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Another royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams, told Metro the reunion was ‘fantastic’, saying: ‘I think the cheers from the crowd said it all.’
He added: ‘It’s what the Queen would have wanted.’
Mr Fitzwilliams observed that ‘there are reasons both sides should want a reconciliation, and this is a chance’.
He went on: ‘We’ve alas lost one of our great monarchs, but King Charles has extended a hand of friendship and William has made a positive move and so [the Sussexes] have responded.
‘So, let’s see. One of the big questions being asked is how much of a part they will play in the rituals in the coming days. Will Harry be walking behind the Queen’s coffin, for example?
‘Will he be participating in the vigil? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I think it’s a possibility.’
Mr Fitzwilliams said that ‘one of the deepest royal rifts may be healing’, adding: ‘Let’s hope.’
Earlier in the day, William issued a heartfelt written tribute to the Queen, saying: ‘She was by my side at my happiest moments.
‘And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.
‘I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.’
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