United in sorrow: Prince William and Harry reunite following Queen’s passing

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, September 8, Prince William and Prince Harry have seemingly put their differences aside to reunite as they greeted well-wishers at Windsor Castle.

Despite years of strained relations between the brothers, Prince William reportedly extended the invitation to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and his wife, the now Princess of Wales, for the walk.

In a show of unity, the two couples walked through the gates of Windsor Castle together on Saturday, September 10, before meeting and speaking with members of the crowd and viewing the flowers left at the gates in tribute to the late Queen.

Although both couples remained mostly separate during the walk, royal watchers remain hopeful that the move hints at a possible reconciliation between the pair.

After chatting, hugging and sharing sympathies with members of the public for over 40 minutes, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have headed back into the Windsor Estate together. Both couples left in the same car, driven by William. pic.twitter.com/V2ettkmKnt

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) September 10, 2022

As William spoke with the crowd he was overheard telling one well-wisher that the Queen’s passing has felt “so surreal”.

“We all thought she was invincible,” he said.

Prince Harry told the crowd that the Queen was a “great granny”.

“No matter what room of the castle you are in, you can feel her presence,” he said.

Prior to his public reunion with Harry, Prince William issued a statement following the Queen’s passing where he expressed his grief over the loss but that he also felt “incredibly grateful” for his time with her.

“I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives,” he said.

“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.

“I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.

“My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”

 

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The Queen’s 70-year reign came to an end on Thursday, September 8 at 6.30pm London time at Balmoral, triggering an outpouring of grief from across the globe.

Buckingham Palace announced her death in a statement after senior royals gathered at Balmoral following concern from the Queen’s doctors regarding her health earlier in the day.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the statement read.

Following her passing, King Charles III was officially proclaimed Britain’s new Monarch in a history-making ceremony on Saturday, September 10.