Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined Prince William and Kate Middleton on Saturday afternoon outside Windsor Castle in an unannounced visit to observe floral tributes left for Queen Elizabeth II. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales were seen thanking the public for their support following the death of the monarch.
It was the first time the group had been seen together publicly in several months and the crowds were left delighted as they took the time to read many of their tribute messages and perused the beautiful floral tributes that had been laid. You can read more on this here.
For nearly an hour, the two couples spoke with members of the public and accepted flowers and gifts as they made their walkabout around the castle. In one clip Meghan can be seen holding a bouquet as an aide approaches her and leans over to say something. As with everything Meghan-related, there was then fierce debate over her reaction, with some suggesting she had reacted in an overly short manner. But that doesn't seem to be the case, with one person on Twitter analysing the footage and, from what we can tell, accurately setting out what she actually said.
The duchess simply appears to politely decline what may have been a request to take a bouquet of flowers from her hands. And the reason why is rather lovely. In a Twitter post that's been shared hundreds of times, Meghan seems to be explaining that she promised a member of the public she'd place the blooms at the gate.
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Posting the exchange on social media, @royal_suitor interpreted the conversation and points out that Meghan says: "I told them I'd place them over there so it's OK. Thank you. I appreciate it though."
Following the walkabout, royal experts have said seeing the prince, princess, duke and duchess all together is a "strong sign of unity" in these sad times and is particularly noteworthy as the the new Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex did not attend Balmoral when the Queen was taken ill on Thursday. This is the first time the family members have been seen publicly together since the sad news of the Queen's passing and believed to be the first time since March 2020 they've all been seen together publicly.
William and Harry were last seen together at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021. The royals' visit comes just moments after the royal family confirmed the date for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
A statement issued on Saturday afternoon said: "The state funeral of Her Majesty the Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September. Prior to the state funeral, the Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects."
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