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Queen Elizabeth II dies It could help to start a reconciliation after a rift and relocation to the US reportedly broke out between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and other members of the royal family.
The couple, who were on a rare visit to the UK when the Queen died on Thursday, were reunited with Harry’s brother William and wife Kate at Windsor Castle on Saturday.it’s theirs First joint public appearance Because they moved to the US in early 2020.
All dressed in mourning black, they looked together at the ever-growing blooms left by the public, then greeted well-wishers separately in pairs, barely revealing the status of their relationship.
But the quartet’s decision – once dubbed the “Big Four” in more recent times – to walk together in front of the camera appears to be a sign of progress in repairing a badly fractured relationship.
The heir to the throne, William, offered an “olive branch” to his younger brother, who has been increasingly critical of the family since leaving the royal front, royal reporters say.
Just two days ago, things were quite different, when Harry, 37, burst into tears as he drove alone to the Balmoral estate where the Queen died earlier.
William and several other close family members – but not Kate – were seen together in a car earlier, but were also too late to meet the Queen before her death.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said Thursday’s separate arrival showed the brothers had become “estranged”.
He argues that Harry and Meghan are seen as “doing a lot of damage to the royal family in recent months” with their lashings at the monarchy.
“For the future, the ball is on their court and it’s up to them how they want to play,” Fitzwilliams added.
– ‘different paths’ –
It was so different in the past.
After the prince’s mother Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, they moved the world by walking behind her coffin at her funeral.
William was 15 and Harry was only 12.
As adults, they seem to have a close bond, and William’s 2011 marriage to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton and starting a family didn’t break.
But the relationship soured after former British Army captain Harry married American biracial actress Meghan in Windsor in 2018.
In a 2019 interview, he said he and his brother “took different paths.” A year later, Harry and Meghan sensationally announced their move to the US.
The couple followed up with a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, with Meghan publicly claiming Kate made her cry.
The most damaging, however, is that an unnamed member of the royal family has speculated on the skin color of the biracial Meghan’s future children.
William later told reporters that the royals were “very not” a racist family.
When they reunited last year to unveil a statue of their mother, the relationship between the brothers was noticeably frosty.
They did not meet during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
Recently, Meghan told The Cut magazine in a lengthy interview that she now feels “free” to tell her story, which some see as a hidden threat to the monarchy.
– ‘unpredictable’ –
However, since the Queen’s death, there have been early signs that the estrangement may be easing.
Despite Harry’s claim to Winfrey that his brother and father were “trapped” in the monarchy, Charles appeared willing to reconcile with his self-exiled son in his first speech as Britain’s new king, particularly expressing his disapproval of His “love” with Meghan.
“He offered the olive branch, but he offered (it) very carefully because he knew they were unpredictable,” Fitzwilliams said.
He added that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were popular among young people but could take a huge risk of publicly criticising the monarchy, especially as the nation mourns and its aftermath.
“There’s no question that the Sussexes will get a lot of attention right now,” Fitzwilliams noted, noting that British public opinion has firmly sided with the rest of the family.
A joint appearance on Saturday with William and Kate, who this week become Prince and Princess of Wales following Charles’ accession to the throne, could herald a new chapter in the family relationship.
But with Harry expected to release his potentially controversial memoir by the end of the year, things could easily go backwards as well.
“Obviously they’ll be at the funeral. More importantly, it’s not going to be possible,” Fitzwilliams said.
“It would have been different if in Harry’s memoir he stopped being critical.”
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