When Prince William and Prince Harry publicly reunited for the first time in months, there was hope that the pair had put their apparent feud behind them in order to look at tributes for their grandmother. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle joined their husbands for an unannounced walkabout that saw the 'Fab Four' chat with well-wishers outside Windsor Castle.
But there was no eye content or chatter between the brothers as they walked behind the Queen’s coffin, and it was the same for Kate and Meghan as they joined the pair in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Harry attended wearing a morning suit, to which his medals were pinned, as he wasn't allowed to wear military uniform, alongside other royals, writes The Mirror.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat behind the King for the state funeral at Westminster Abbey, with one theory claiming it was to stop cameras from gaining shots of the two brothers together close up. Now it has been reported that the Duke will soon be travelling back to California, where he now lives with Meghan and their two children.
Uniform row
At King Charles' request, Prince Harry wore military uniform for first time since 2020 during the vigil of the grandchildren. The U-turn followed an earlier announcement that the Duke of Sussex, who served for ten years in the Army, would be refused the right to wear uniform at the ceremonial events during the mourning period.
But his spokesman said that the 38-year-old would "wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother” instead, insisting that his decade of military service “was not determined by the uniform he wears.” It was then reported over the weekend that he told a friend: "People need to stop talking about this stuff and focus on my grandmother.”
But after the initial snub was reversed, the royal was reportedly "devastated" at having to remove the 'ER' symbol from his military uniform as he held vigil by her coffin - even though Prince William was allowed to keep his. After the initials were not removed from Prince William, a close friend told The Sunday Times: "He is heartbroken. To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional."
Reports suggested that Harry nearly decided to wear a morning suit after all in order to avoid "humiliation". But it doesn't seem to have been an intentional snub as the initials are traditionally only worn by those 'in service' of the monarch.
The Duke of Sussex has worn civilian clothes at public events since the Queen died, after stepping back as a working royal two years ago. He had served two tours in Afghanistan as part of the Army, while Prince William carried out more than seven years of full-time military service, including three-and-a-half years as a search and rescue pilot.
Invitation snub
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly uninvited to the pre-funeral reception hosted by King Charles III on Sunday evening. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received an invite to the state reception for world leaders and foreign royals earlier this week, but didn't attend after palace officials insisted it was for working members of the Royal family only.
The Telegraph reported that it was unclear why they were invited to an event that aides insisted they were not expected to attend. Sources close to the appeared 'baffled' over the affair, with a royal source telling Page Six: "Harry and Meghan actually got the invitation and no-one has actually told them they are uninvited."
Another insider told the site: "I'm told they only found out they were uninvited by reading press reports.”
Trip to Balmoral
The King and the Princess Royal were the only senior members of the Royal Family to make it to Balmoral as they were already in Scotland, the Telegraph reported. Royals rushed to make it to the monarch's side after she suddenly declined - prompting Buckingham Palace to issue a rare statement on her health.
The Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex flew from RAF Northolt, before William drove them from the airport to the castle. The Duke of Sussex was also en route to Balmoral but travelled alone - and it is believed he was mid-air when Buckingham Palace announced at 6.30pm that the Queen had died, and arrived 90 minutes later, after his flight left 20 minutes late.
A source told the Telegraph that King Charles told the Duke of Sussex that the Queen had died five minutes before Buckingham Palace released the official announcement. A royal source said: "Everybody was trying to get where they needed to be,” the source said. “That was the focus. And the King was adamant that the official statement must not be released until all members of the family had been informed. That was a father talking because he cares.”
The grief-stricken Duke was photographed driving to join members of his family, and reportedly spent the evening at the castle, away from Prince William and his father, who dined separately. Prince Harry was the first to leave Balmoral on Friday morning, driven out of the gates at 8.20am.
He later boarded a British Airways flight from Aberdeen to Heathrow and is thought to have returned to Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, where the Duchess of Sussex was waiting for him.
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