Since a distraught Prince Harry was photographed sweeping the gates of Balmoral Castle, alone, several hours after the Queen’s death, only to be driven again at 8.30am the next morning, similarly alone, to catch a scheduled flight British Airways back in London, the question of what really happened that night has loomed large. Now, some answers have been given about those mysterious 13 hours since Daily Mail social reporter and columnist Richard Kay, who is widely understood to have excellent contacts in the King Charles camp; Kay says that, amazingly, Harry didn’t see William at all that night, and that when he arrived, William had already been taken to Charles’ house on the estate, Birkhall. The two brothers thus dined separately and the first they saw of each other was when they briefly joined forces at Windsor Castle in a carefully managed show of unity on Saturday. Kay reports, “Two dinners were being hosted at the royal estate that evening and there was a clear divide: one was for the new king and his crown prince, the other for the rest of the family.” Kay also rejects the suggestion that it was Charles who arranged for William and Harry and their wives to meet to view floral tributes at Windsor Castle. She says that, as reported by The Daily Beast, the initiative was William’s. However, Kay adds the fascinating detail that the older brother reached out to the younger via text. Harry recognized the text and the rest is history. A source told Kay: “It happened really quickly — really remarkable considering they didn’t see each other in Scotland.” A source told The Daily Beast that the decision was made to project a united front, an idea corroborated by an insider who said Daily Mail“These next few days are going to be extremely intense and getting through them without distraction can only be a good thing.” Kay is skeptical that the truce will be kept and compares the situation to football matches said to have been played on the Western Front during World War I on Christmas Day, before hostilities resumed on 26 December. An ongoing issue for William is Harry’s upcoming memoir, with a source saying, “William loves his brother, but there’s this trust issue.” Asked about the chances of a real reconciliation, a source described by Kay as an ‘informed figure’ told him, ‘the problem is they haven’t spoken for almost two years and there’s anger and sadness about everything on both sides. “
