Royal Fab Four reunited: Grieving William and Harry joined by Kate and Meghan as they thank wellwishers in Windsor
10 September 2022, 16:37 | Updated: 10 September 2022, 21:27
Meghan and Harry join William and Kate on walkabout at Windsor Castle
Prince William, Princess Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at Windsor today in their first public appearance since the Queen's death to view floral tributes at Windsor castle.
All dressed in black, they walked along the gates of Windsor Castle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands as they looked at the tributes, with Harry at one point affectionately putting his hand on Meghan's back.
They were seen pointing at different tributes and discussing them as members of the crowd waved at them.
It is reported that Prince William personally invited Harry and Meghan to join them for the Windsor walkabout.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were given bunches of flowers by members of the crowd at Windsor Castle as one visitor waved a Welsh flag in the background.
Queen's children thank public outside Balmoral Castle
At one moment, a small Paddington Bear was given to William, which he passed on to an aide.
He was seen lightly touching Kate's back at one moment as she crouched down again to speak to a child at the front of the gates.
The crowd was heard chatting excitedly and taking photographs as William and Kate and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stopped to speak to each person at the front of the barriers.
The royal couples walked along separately from one another, with William and Kate speaking to people on one side of the road and Harry and Meghan speaking to people on the other side of the road.
The visit comes shortly after the Prince of Wales issued a touching tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the Queen in a statement released by Kensington Palace, saying "she was by my side during the saddest days of my life."
The statement from Prince William said: "On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.
"I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful.
"I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.
"My wife has had 20 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 continued: "She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life," an apparent reference to the period of grief following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
"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."
William's statement comes after a service in memory of the Queen was held at a chapel near Balmoral.
King Charles gives address to the nation following Queen's death
The Duke of York thanked people for visiting to see the members of the royal family after the death of his mother the Queen, as his daughter Princess Eugenie wiped a tear from her cheek while reading tributes to her grandmother.
The duke, flanked by his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, thanked well-wishers for lining the route back to Balmoral after the royal family attended a prayer service.
It was the first time the members of the royal family had been seen together in public since the Queen's death on Thursday.
Asked by a mourner how things were, Andrew said: "We've been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on."
He added: "It's nice to see you, thank you for coming."
On Sunday, the Queen's coffin is expected to be taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
Andrew and his two daughters were joined by two of the Queen's children, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex, the Countess of Wessex, Anne's husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Queen's grandchildren Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and Lady Louise Windsor at the service on Saturday.
It was a prayer service held at the nearby Crathie Kirk church, a place the Queen visited regularly during her stays at Balmoral.
Shortly after the service finished at about 2.30pm, the family began a sombre walk across the bridge over the River Dee towards the castle.
They were seen nodding and waving to the members of the public who had lined the route towards the castle.
After Andrew spoke to the public, the family walked over towards the vast collection of flowers and tributes that had been left at the gates.
The crowd fell silent as they intently read messages and discussed the bouquets with each other.
At one point, Princess Eugenie laid a bunch of flowers, and was seen being comforted by her father as she wiped tears away from her eyes.
After being at the scene for around six minutes, the family stood at the castle gates facing the public and waved, prompting them to break into a spontaneous round of applause.
Andrew also put his hands together in a prayer position and briefly bowed to the crowd to give his thanks.
One woman then said: "How lovely."
A large crowd had gathered at Balmoral ahead of the visit, with locals including parents and children, some carrying roses, convening at the castle gates to add their floral tributes.
