Before the Queen’s death, the two had no intentions to meet, Daily Mail reported. (File)
New Delhi:
The unexpected reunion of Princes Harry and William was initiated by the latter after a phone call from King Charles, media reports claimed, citing royal sources.
“The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity for the Queen at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” Daily Mail quoted a senior palace source as saying.
The sight of the royal brothers on the 40-minute walkabout outside Windsor Castle was welcomed by crowds who had gathered to mourn Queen Elizabeth’s death.
BBC also reported that it was Prince William who had extended the invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan to go on this walkabout where the four inspected the floral tributes laid outside the gates of the royal estate to honour Queen Elizabeth.
Before the Queen’s death, the two had no intentions to meet, despite Prince Harry staying in Frogmore Cottage, a mere 640 meters from William and Kate’s Adelaide Cottage, Daily Mail reported.
The pair had not been seen together in public since they joined for the opening of the memorial in honour of their mother, Princess Diana.
Sources told Daily Mail that King Charles in a phone call had told Prince William, now Duke of Wales, to set aside their ongoing feud ahead of the Queen’s funeral.
However, there was a 45-minute delay in the walkabout that, Daily Mail reported, was caused due to “extended negotiations” between the two camps.
Journalist Omid Scobie, a reported friend of Prince Harry and Megan, tweeted, “The Waleses had always been scheduled to greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle, but royal sources say the decision to invite the Sussexes was made in the eleventh hour. It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers.”
He added that the public reunion was “a show of the utmost respect to the Queen”.