William and Harry's display of unity at Windsor 'followed long negotiations that delayed their walk by almost an hour'
11 September 2022, 08:32 | Updated: 12 September 2022, 08:18
William and Harry's surprise show of unity at Windsor Castle, as they took in tributes left for "Grannie", followed negotiations between their two camps that delayed them by almost an hour.
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They were joined by Kate and Meghan to look at flowers outside the castle on Saturday.
Charles Rae, the royal commentator, told LBC that William asked Harry and Meghan if they would like to join them an hour before they emerged, having long-planned to do a walkabout.
The Times said it only went ahead after extended negotiations between the now-Prince of Wales camp and the Sussexes that delayed them by 45 minutes.
A spokesperson for William said: "The Prince of Wales invited the Duke and Duchess to join him and the Princess of Wales. The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family."
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Meghan and Harry join William and Kate on walkabout at Windsor Castle
It was not known how much contact the feuding brothers would have during the mourning period.
Harry and Meghan had only been in the country a matter of days, flying in from their Montecito home and attending charity events before the Duke of Sussex raced up to Balmoral after the Queen’s health deteriorated.
He was told by Charles not to bring Meghan.
Harry and Meghan held hands as they looked at tributes while William was given a Paddington Bear.
The beloved Peruvian character was part of a popular sketch during the Platinum Jubilee in which he had tea with the Queen.
It is unclear if the brothers will put on more displays of unity like this or whether this could represent the start of a thawing of relations between them.
William said in a moving speech on Saturday: "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 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.
"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."
