Since the Queen’s death at the age of 96 on Thursday, the two couples, all dressed in mournful black, have been staring together at the growing fringes of flowers left at the gates of Windsor Castle.
William and Harry, Kate and Meghan were once dubbed the “Fab Four”, with the hope that together they could secure the monarchy’s appeal for younger generations.
But relations between them reportedly soured soon after Harry’s wedding to former British Army captain Harry with mixed-race American television actress Meghan in Windsor in 2018.
The two couples were last seen in 2020 at the Commonwealth Day Service in Westminster Abbey just days before their blustery announcement.
He moved to the United States, from where he made repeated public criticisms of life at the institution, including claims of racism.
This prompted 40-year-old William to angrily insist that “we are not a racist family”.
Harry also claimed that William, now the heir to the throne after the death of his grandmother, and his father Charles, the new king, were trapped in a hidden institution.
But Charles offered an explanation as a clear olive branch to his self-exiled son, who now lives in California and is trying to reinvent himself as a welfare and social justice advocate.
In his first speech as king on Friday, Charles, 73, spoke of his love for his second son and daughter-in-law.
The relationship between the brothers – from Charles’ first marriage to Princess Diana – was markedly frosty when they reunited last year to unveil a statue of their mother.
They did not meet during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Harry and Meghan are staying at the Windsor Estate’s Frogmore Cottage, which is just a short walk from William and Kate’s new home, Adelaide Cottage.
British media said the couple had no plans to meet until the Queen’s death on Thursday, despite their closeness.
Harry and Meghan were initially on a whistle-stop tour, attending two charity events in the UK and the other in Germany for the former Invictus Games for disabled veterans.
But he is now expected to stop for the Queen’s funeral on 19 September at Westminster Abbey in London.