In a dramatic last-minute text, Prince William invited Prince Harry and his new wife, Meghan Markle, to Windsor Castle to pay their respects to the late Queen and meet with their friends and family.
The Prince of Wales reportedly did not follow Prince Charles’s directions when he arranged the unexpected reunion of his brother and sister-in-law during the walkabout at Windsor Castle on Saturday.
William, the Princess of Wales, Harry, and Meghan Markle, once known as the ‘Fab Four,’ were reunited in public for the first time since the Sussexes left the UK and traveled to the US, and they were videotaped shaking hands with the queued masses and taking bouquets of flowers.
Both couples were dressed in all black and appeared apprehensive when they arrived in a single car and spent the next 40 minutes mingling with eager admirers outside the castle gates.
According to the Daily Mail, William texted Meghan and Harry an invitation to join him and Kate as they met well-wishers and viewed flower tributes.
Prior to reaching out to his younger sibling through text, the Prince of Wales reportedly mentioned the idea of admiring the flowers and meeting well wishers alongside Harry, and this was reportedly recognized by the Duke of Sussex.
It’s believed that William felt a public show of sadness for their grandmother during a time of national mourning was important.
Someone on the inside also said, ‘These coming days are going to be really intense, and getting through them without distraction can only be a positive thing.’
The scheduled 4.30 p.m. walkabout was reportedly delayed by 45 minutes while William and Harry discussed their itinerary.