The siblings have reportedly been estranged since Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made their much-publicized break from royal life and moved to North America. Harry and William were last photographed together after Prince Philip’s death in April 2021 and the two couples have not been seen together in public for several years. When the Sussexes lived in Britain, Meghan had a bitter relationship with much of the British tabloid press that remains to this day. They charged that the tabloids had incited racism against the duchess. they also claimed that there was institutional racism within the monarchy and that Buckingham Palace had failed to protect Meghan. In recent days, as the spotlight has once again intensified on the two couples, Meghan has also been the target of abuse on social media. In addition, Harry’s arrival at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, alone, before his grandmother’s death on Thursday, had become a talking point. British media reported that King Charles III had told Harry that it was not appropriate for Meghan to travel with him to Balmoral before the Queen’s death, as they apparently intended. But Saturday’s public appearance was the latest sign that the royals may be mending their ties as they come together to mourn the death of their family’s matriarch. In his first televised speech from Buckingham Palace on Friday, Charles expressed his love for Harry and Meghan “as they continue to build their lives abroad”. Harry is fifth in line to the throne, despite the controversial decision to step back from royal duties and move to the United States with Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilybet. After the death of the Queen and the rise of Charles as monarch, the two Sussex children are entitled to the titles “prince” and “princess”. This right stems from protocols dating from King George V in 1917, which state that the sovereign’s children and grandchildren are automatically granted royal titles. (The official palace succession list still lists them as Master Archie and Miss Lilibet.) Among the many shocking claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in an interview with Oprah Winfrey last year was an allegation that Buckingham Palace was planning to deny Archie the title of prince – a decision Meghan called offensive and suggested that driven by institutional racism within the monarchy. In another interview, Harry said he came up with the term “Megxit” – which was coined after he and his wife announced in January 2020 that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family and splitting their time between Britain and North America — “misogynistic.” The prince and his wife have often stressed that hate and misinformation online can affect one’s emotional health and mental well-being. A spokesman for William said he had invited his brother and sister-in-law to join him and Catherine to meet mourners and view the tributes at Windsor. The couples spent just over 30 minutes talking to members of the public before leaving in a car driven by William, who became Prince of Wales after his father ascended the throne. “The Welsh were always scheduled to greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle, but royal sources say the decision to invite the Sussexes was made at the eleventh hour,” royal watcher Omid Scobie tweeted. “It is, without a doubt, an important moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers.” Queen Elizabeth II’s line of succession, visualized Royal watcher Camilla Tominey said that by approaching Harry to join him on Saturday and “set aside the rift”, William – next in line to the throne – showed he was living up to his grandmother’s example. He described it as “one of the most remarkable walks in modern royal history” and an episode that would have made the late Queen proud. “Queen Elizabeth II famously said that ‘it is often small steps, not giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change,’” Tominey wrote in Britain’s Telegraph newspaper. Pannett reported from Sydney. Jennifer Hassan in London contributed to this report.
