'Fab Four' walk was reportedly delayed by an hour as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed into formal attire
WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM: The Queen's death led to an unexpected but welcoming royal reunion on Saturday afternoon, September 10, as people saw the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex put on a united front to meet crowds outside Windsor Castle. Shelving their differences aside, William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan Markle viewed floral tributes left to the late Queen at Windsor Castle.
However, a royal expert claimed on US TV yesterday that their surprise reconciliation in front of thousands of well-wishers only occurred after "extended negotiations" which delayed their arrival by almost an hour. The 'Fab Four' emerged from a car behind the gates of Windsor Castle and walked to meet cheering crowds and view the flowers left outside, hours after their father was declared king.
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According to NBC's Daisy McAndrew, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to "quickly go and get changed" to meet mourners with the Prince and Princess of Wales. The NBC News royal commentator told the network's Today show that she believed Meghan needed to have her "hair and make-up" done and that the walkabout had been "scheduled to be nearly an hour before they came." It is a well-known 'secret' that William and Harry do not share the best of the brotherly bonds between themselves. William who is the new heir to the throne is understood to have invited his brother Harry in a text message to join them in meeting well-wishers outside the castle, which sources said William thought was an "important show of unity."
McAndrew said "Interestingly, the reason that the walkabout was so late - it was scheduled to be nearly an hour before they actually came was because of course Harry and Meghan had to go and get changed. They weren't wearing the proper formal mourning attire, so they had to quickly go and get changed – I guess, do hair and makeup for Meghan. So that's why they were late." McAndrew also claimed that the meeting was "very much the King's desire," because Charles III "wanted to see the boys together because of course it was overshadowing the beginning of his reign."
However, it was later revealed that the walkabout was not carried out under the direction of Charles, with one royal source saying such suggestions were "absolutely not the case." "They are a stone's throw from each other in Windsor, just a really short walk. That's one of the things that people kept remarking on, how sad it was that they could be so physically close but so emotionally distant," added McAndrew. "Now of course, one swallow doesn't make a summer. We know this probably isn't the end of it, that there will still be residual bad feeling. Everybody is waiting for that book that Harry is bringing out some time between the autumn and the winter of this year. But for now it looks like a rapprochement."
All four were dressed in black as they walked along the gates of the castle. At one point during the walkabout, Meghan was seen being given a close hug by a young girl in the crowd. William and Kate were joined by Harry and Meghan for the first time in more than two years since Commonwealth Day on March 9, 2020. The last time William was joined in public by his brother at Windsor Castle was at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in April last year.
