The Prince of Wales was captured making a welcoming gesture towards Meghan Markle before their walkabout in Windsor on Saturday.
Prince William, 40, extended an olive branch to his brother the Duke of Sussex on Saturday when he invited him and the Duchess of Sussex, 41, to come and greet royal fans in Windsor Castle with him and the Princess of Wales.
The royal ‘Fab Four’ were reunited for the sad occasion, and were seen walking out of the royal estate side by side.
Clips showed how Prince William gently extended an arm towards his sister-in-law Meghan before they stepped out of the gates, in a sign of encouragement.
The Prince of Wales was captured making a welcoming gesture towards Meghan Markle before their walkabout in Windsor on Saturday
Prince William, 40, extended an olive branch to his brother the Duke of Sussex on Saturday when he invited him and the Duchess of Sussex, 41, to come greet royal fans in Windsor Castle with him and the Princess of Wakes
The moment was captured by news cameras after Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan stepped out of their Range Rovers and prepared to go on their walkabout by the Windsor Castle gates.
A hesitant Meghan could be see standing a few steps away from the car, while the Duke of Sussex was stood close to his brother and Kate.
Noticing this, Prince William gallantly gestured towards Meghan to invite her to join their conversation and introduce her to the aide who had come to greet the senior royals.
The foursome were greeted by applause as they walked through the gates of Windsor Castle together to honour the legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Duchess was handed multiple bouquets of flowers by royal fans waiting in the crowd, but appeared to be keen to hold onto them
The mother-of-two seemed to insist she wanted to keep the flowers as several aides tried to convince her to hand the bouquet over
Meghan was seen cooing over babies in the crowd and even offered hugs out to some of the mourners waiting – but others in the crowd greeted Meghan with stony faces as she took part in the walkabout.
Saturday’s reunion marked the first time that the two couples have all appeared in public since Commonwealth Day on March 9, 2020, just weeks before the Covid lockdown.
Harry and Meghan, who sensationally quit frontline duties two years ago to strike out on their own in California before making a series of bombshell allegations against The Firm, held hands as they looked at the tributes, with Harry at one point affectionately putting his hand on Meghan’s back.
Harmony? The Princes appeared to have put their troubles to one side to honour the Queen’s memory
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex view the tributes left after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle on Saturday
The ‘fab four’ reunited at Windsor to mourn the death of The Queen; it was the first time the couples have been together in public since March 2020
They were seen pointing at different tributes and discussing them as members of the crowd waved.
A Kensington Palace source said that the Prince of Wales invited the Sussexes to join him and the Princess of Wales earlier on Saturday.
The Sussexes’ friend and preferred journalist Omid Scobie later claimed on Twitter that the invitation was made at the ’11th hour’.
However, hinting that William is prepared to extend Harry an olive branch and work towards melting the ice between them, he declared: ‘It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers.’
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.
As the child began to cry, the Princess of Wales knelt down to say hello – prompting the little one to stop crying.
Meanwhile the Duchess of Sussex was seen being given a close hug by a young girl in the crowd at Windsor Castle.
Meghan walked over to a section of the crowd and approached a teenager, who was seen putting her hand over her mouth in shock. The pair spoke briefly for a few moments and Meghan could be seen assuring her by putting her hand on her shoulder.
The girl then said: ‘Can I have a hug?’ and Meghan was seen nodding, before leaning in and giving her a big hug. The touching moment was filmed by other members in the crowd.
A TikTok video of the moment revealed the Duchess had told royal fan Amelka Zak, 14, that she had a ‘beautiful’ name and thanked her for coming to pay tribute.
It comes as it is believed that William and Harry could walk side by side behind the Queen’s coffin at her funeral next week in a potential royal truce, according to reports.
Days after the Prince of Wales offered his brother an ‘olive branch’ by inviting him on a walkaround to meet mourners outside Windsor, there is a suggestion they could put their differences aside during the time of national mourning.
The pair had been separated by their cousin Peter Phillips at the funeral of Prince Phillip last year, and since then have only been seen in public together once before Saturday’s surprise walk.
What form the truce takes at the Queen’s funeral on Monday, September 19, remains to be seen, with reports suggesting that Prince Andrew is also set to play a key role despite controversies in the last few years.
The Duke of York is expected to join his family as they unite in their grief, with sources saying it would be ‘out of the question’ for him to be excluded.
However, despite this apparent reprieve for the disgraced prince, there would seem to be no way back into public life for him, with both the king and the Prince of Wales previously saying he would have no formal role during their reigns.
It comes as the Royal Family attempts to put on a united front during the period of national mourning, as they try to put aside their differences for the greater good following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral on Thursday.
While arrangements for the funeral service are still being ironed out, there are reports that discussions are underway that could see William and Harry stand side by side during the procession.
It would mark a significant improvement in their relationship – at the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip in April last year, the pair were separated by their cousin Peter Phillips.
However, relations between the brothers seem to have improved since then, with William inviting Harry to meet wellwishers and mourners outside Windsor on Saturday.
The 11th-hour ‘olive branch’ was offered by William to his brother as hundreds of people gathered outside the royal residence to pay tribute to Her Majesty.
The brothers, accompanied by their wives, greeted mourners outside the gates of the Windsor Castle and thanked them for their tributes and condolences.
The Sun reports an insider as saying: ‘We are certainly not in the same place as Philip’s funeral when William and Harry didn’t walk side by side.
‘Things haven’t changed but it is not as intense and they can co-exist.
‘But the flower visit really doesn’t change anything. It is the same situation as at Prince Philip’s funeral when William and Harry put their differences aside and supported each other and their families in that moment.’
The temporary nature of the truce could be laid bare in the coming months with Harry set to release his ‘tell-all’ memoirs and Meghan set to continue her series of podcasts.