For the past two weeks, the country has been united in grief after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II – never more clear to see than at the sombre occasion of Her Majesty’s funeral. The poignancy of seeing the royal family come together in their mourning has been deeply moving for fans, particularly in the case of William and Kate, the new Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan.
The foursome have been plagued by drama over recent years, following Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back as working royals – a decision that’s been littered with bombshell interviews, including that infamous 2021 Oprah tell-all, in which Meghan alleged that Kate made her cry in the run-up to her wedding.
But the Queen’s death has reunited the family, and a royal insider tells heat that Kate and Meghan, in particular, have put the drama behind them for the sake of the late Queen, their father-in-law, the new King, and their husbands.
“Kate and Meghan are being cordial towards each other,” we’re told. “They hadn’t spoken for a long time, until that walkabout in Windsor two days after the Queen died. They had a polite exchange just before it and that broke the ice.”
Visiting Windsor Castle to see the tributes and flowers left by fans was a momentous occasion for the two couples, with fans praising them for putting their differences behind them. The significant olive branch between the four reportedly came in the form of a text message, in which William invited his brother and sister-in-law to join them on the royal walkabout.
The couples reunited in respect, gathering to admire the thousands of floral tributes left in honour of the Queen. While there, they spoke with members of the public – some of whom had waited hours – and gave touching insights into how they’re dealing with their own grief.
Upon meeting a family with a small dog, Prince William revealed, “Dogs at this time are so important. I give my dog a lot of cuddles at the moment.” And in one emotional exchange, the new Princess of Wales comforted a member of the public by revealing, “Don’t worry, I’ve had plenty of moments like this, too. But my little Louis is just so sweet. He said, ‘Mummy, don’t worry, she’s now with Great-Grandpa’.” And Meghan made her own headlines, after being pictured embracing a member of the crowd and thanking them for coming. She also at one point rejected an offer by royal aides to hold floral tributes, insisting she had promised that she would lay them at the gate.
It seems Kate and Meghan have been keen to put on a united front at what is an incredibly difficult time for their husbands. “It’s still somewhat awkward due to their history of conflict, but the main thing is that they’re both pulling together. There’s a shared desire to be positive, as opposed to dwelling on negative things from the past,” reveals our insider.
“At some stage, they know they want to have proper talks about what has gone on between them – to ask each other some hard questions about what they’ve each supposedly said or done behind the other’s back. Only then can they move on. But now is not the time, and this is a sentiment that’s shared by William and Harry. Both Harry and Meghan are extremely grateful that they were invited to pay their respects by William that day. From their perspective, it’s most certainly a positive step in the right direction.”
The couples publicly reunited several more times in the ten days of mourning before the Queen’s funeral. The brothers accompanied their father Charles on the late monarch’s journey to Westminster Hall for her lying in state, solemnly walking behind the coffin. Once inside Westminster, both Meghan and Kate paid tribute to the Queen with subtle yet poignant accessories that nodded to the incredible woman they learnt so much from. Kate paid tribute by wearing the Queen’s pearl and leaf brooch – loaned to Kate by the Queen herself, who was photographed wearing it on many occasions. The new Princess of Wales also gave a subtle nod to her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, by wearing a set of pearl earrings that once belonged to her.
Meghan also chose to wear a set of diamond and pearl earrings that were reportedly gifted to her by the Queen back in 2018 – thought to be the earrings that Meghan opened up about during that bombshell interview with Oprah. Speaking to the TV host about her love for the Queen, the actress revealed, “She has always been wonderful to me. She gave me beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace.”
The public have adored seeing the once-close brothers back together again, with their wives at their sides. One royal fan took to Twitter and said, “The fact that Prince William and Kate invited Harry and Meghan to the walkabout says an awful lot. The Sussexes accepted it, so clearly they wanted to join them,” while another wrote, “The scene many of us wanted to see. A family coming together through grief.”
And our insider reveals the visit has given the controversial couple much to think about regarding their future relationship with the rest of the royals. Our insider says, “Harry and Meghan will now need to go back to America and consider their next moves extremely carefully. They are wise enough to know that the next few months will greatly affect how they’re viewed within the new Firm, and that there will be expectations that come with any future olive branch.”
They added, “Harry’s memoir [rumoured to now be delayed until next year] was always going to be a contentious subject, but with Camilla now Queen Consort, it’ll be even more badly received if he takes aim at her. And if Meghan proceeds with her own scathing memoir, then all senior royals are likely to keep their distance and hold back invites to future family gatherings. That’s the last thing Harry or Meghan want – as far as some of the more cynical royals are concerned, they want to have their cake and eat it. As forgiving and patient as Charles and William are being right now, it’ll likely push them over the edge if they’re subjected to any more put-downs that embarrass the royal family.”
For now, our insider says the brothers and their wives – who have been only 900 yards apart in their separate houses on the Windsor estate – are happy to keep the peace. “It’s a time of harmony and new beginnings,” they say. “Kate’s been warm and friendly towards Meghan. She invited her to meet for tea and made herself available for any practical support while Meghan was away from her kids. Kate is determined to honour the Queen’s wishes for forgiveness and peace.”
And as the couples reunited to remember not just their monarch, but their family member, the slate has been wiped clean – for now. Our insider says, “It’s what the Queen wanted, and Charles is honouring her wishes. But only time will tell if the Sussexes are capable of playing nice long term.”