Why Prince William wanted estranged brother Prince Harry on Windsor Castle walkabout

New details have emerged about how the feuding princes’ public display of unity after the Queen’s death played out behind closed doors.

New details have emerged about how feuding princes William and Harry’s public display of unity after the Queen’s death played out behind closed doors.

Yesterday, the so-called “Fab Four” made a surprise appearance, meeting with wellwishers outside Windsor Castle.

Prince William and his wife Catherine – the newly minted Prince and Princess of Wales – and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delighted royal watchers with the gesture of reconciliation, which came after years of bitterness and public accusations between the two couples.

In fact, the outing marked the first time the two couples have appeared together in public since the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9, 2020.

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Now, attention is turning to how the historic union came about, with sources confirming Prince William invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and his wife on the walkabout in what has been widely described as an eleventh-hour olive branch.

“The Prince of Wales invited the duke and duchess to join him and the Princess of Wales. The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” a spokesman for the Prince and Princess of Wales told The Times.

The Fab Four had a very public reunion yesterday. Picture: Chris Jackson/Pool/AFP

The publication understands that William’s invitation was his own decision but came at the last minute, leading to a 45-minute delay to the planned 4.30pm event to allow the Sussexes to prepare.

And according to the publication, the reason behind the invitation was a touching one, as Prince William “felt uncomfortable going out in public to honour his grandmother’s memory without his younger brother”.

“Given that the Sussexes were staying at Frogmore Cottage, only a few minutes away, however, and that in the past they would always have done such things together – as they did, for instance, five years ago on the 20th anniversary of the death of their mother – William did not feel right doing it without Harry.”

As for the practical arrangements, it is understood it was decided upon via a text sent by William, which his brother readily accepted.

It comes amid reports that the princes’ cousin – Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips – has “acted as peacemaker” between the warring brothers, a source told The Telegraph.

The brothers have been estranged for years. Picture: Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

But yesterday was seen as something of a breakthrough. Picture: Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The outlet claimed it was “a role he could fulfil” again, as “Peter is used to acting as a bit of a buffer“.

“He may play that role again in a bid to pull them along together.”

The 44-year-old famously walked between the brothers during Prince Philip’s funeral procession, serving as a physical buffer.

And now, The Sun understands there is also a chance William and Harry could walk side-by-side behind the Queen’s coffin at her upcoming funeral later this month.

An insider said: “We are certainly not in the same place as Philip’s funeral when William and Harry didn’t walk side-by-side.

People salute as they stand in tribute as the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II passes by on September 11, 2022 in Ballater. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

“Things haven’t changed but it is not as intense and they can coexist.

“But the flower visit really doesn’t change anything. It is the same situation as at Prince Philip’s funeral when William and Harry put their differences aside and supported each other and their families in that moment.”

The source echoed widespread sentiment among royal watchers that the Windsor walkabout did not automatically signal a thawing of relations between the brothers, and that instead it was simply a temporary truce as the royal family endures a period of mourning.