The reunion of the “Fab Four” is likely to be brief unless there is a “major shift in attitudes”, royal experts warn.
Princes William and Harry drew gasps from crowds at Windsor Castle as the sight of them mourning their beloved grandmother together raised hopes of them healing their rift.
Seeing the once inseparable brothers taking part in a walkabout with wives Kate and Meghan on Saturday was a source of comfort for many amid the nation’s grief.
And it conjured memories of how they were pictured mourning their tragic mother Diana, Princess of Wales, together as boys in 1997.
But royal sources last night insisted any thawing of relations would almost certainly be a “temporary truce”.
One said: “It was a single act of compassion due to extraordinary circumstances.
“Everyone is grieving and anything else right now pales into insignificance. Whether this could be a catalyst to anything more... well, I would find that exceedingly hard to believe unless there was a major shift in attitudes.”
Once referred to as the Fab Four because of their close bond, William and Kate were last seen in public with Harry and Meghan on Commonwealth Day in March 2020.
The Sussexes quit royal duty and relocated to Meghan’s native California amid a family fall-out that has festered for two-and-a-half years.
And the rift has played out very publicly and messily – with incidents including Harry and Meghan’s bombshell TV interview with US chat queen Oprah Winfrey.
But it looked as though the clock had been turned back on Saturday and there were cheers when the two couples emerged from a black Audi driven by William down Windsor Castle’s Long Walk.
The new Prince and Princess of Wales thanked well-wishers who had travelled to pay their respects.
Harry at first appeared uneasy, clasping his wife’s hand as he viewed the hundreds of tributes. But the Duke soon seemed to relax, chatting to mourners.
The Mirror understands the outing came about after William extended an olive branch, deciding to contact his brother and invite him to take part in a public show of harmony in Her Majesty’s memory.
William and Kate, both 40, were expected to meet the public from 4.30pm but delayed their walkabout until 5.15pm to include Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41.
A source said: “The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”
Reports that William had spoken to the King beforehand were incorrect, sources suggested. One added: “The King was attending to rather more important business and this was a purely family matter.”
Among the crowds at Windsor was Michael Clerk, 37, a teacher from Alton, Hants, who met Harry and Meghan with daughters Isobel, 10, and Sophie, six. He said: “Harry asked about the flowers we laid.
“I shook his hand and told him I was sorry for his loss. It’s a privilege to meet royalty but also a sad time – a family should be together to grieve.”
William was heard telling one well-wisher that the days following the Queen’s death had been “so surreal”. “We all thought she was invincible,” he told them.
At one point, Meghan was hugged by a woman in the crowd, while others stretched to shake hands and jostled to speak to the four royals.
William spent some time bending down chatting to children, while Kate and Harry accepted bouquets of flowers and messages of encouragement from the crowd.
After the couples had spent around 45 minutes viewing tributes and thanking the visitors, they got back into the waiting Audi.
William could be heard asking his brother, “Are you coming in our car?” before he got into the driver’s seat with Kate next to him, while Harry and Meghan took seats in the rear. One may wonder what they discussed on the drive back to their separate homes, just a mile apart on the Windsor estate.
A royal source said: “We must remember that amid the intense grief of a nation there is, at its heart, a family in mourning. It is undeniable that there are certain factions within the family.
“However, it was the Prince of Wales’s firmly held belief that the passing of his grandmother should be a period of togetherness.
“That said, there remains a great sense of distrust in the air and for that to dissipate there needs to be some major reconciliation on the part of those making the most noise.
“Until that is forthcoming, then there may be little point taking things any further.”
William has been frustrated by the Sussexes’ attacks on the Royal Family since they stepped back from service in 2020.
And sources have said he was incredulous when they took part in their tell-all TV interview with Oprah.
The interview, aired in the US and the UK, featured a string of shocking claims – including that an unnamed royal had questioned what colour their then unborn son Archie’s skin would be.
Meghan also claimed life in The Firm had left her feeling suicidal.
The family rift deepened as the Duchess seemingly continued to reference her experiences of royal life in her ventures in the corporate world.
And trust was further eroded by news that Harry has an explosive memoir coming out.
