When Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022, the entire UK was flooded with tributes, and Windsor Castle became a focal point for mourning.
Fans of the Queen lined the streets, many of them holding bouquets to honor the beloved monarch.
It wasn’t long before her grandsons, Prince Harry and Prince William, emerged to meet the public—a poignant and symbolic gesture during such a somber moment.
The Brothers’ Reunion: A Walk of Tension and Tradition
Though it was a moment meant to honor their grandmother, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
This wasn’t the first time Harry and William had walked among mourners; 25 years earlier, they did something similar after the death of their mother, Princess Diana.
Back then, they were just boys, but now, as grown men, the dynamics had drastically changed.
Harry and William had become distant after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020, and the estrangement was evident in their body language.
The Royal Etiquette Incident: Meghan and the Flowers
Despite the somber occasion, Meghan managed to unintentionally stir controversy.
Royal protocol dictates that when flowers are presented to a royal, they should not carry them themselves.
Instead, the bouquets should be passed to an aide, who will handle them and lay them down properly.
This is to prevent the royal from carrying potentially dangerous items, such as explosives, and to keep their hands free for greeting more mourners.
In a resurfaced clip from that day, Meghan appeared to ignore this royal practice.
When an aide, Lee Thompson—Prince William’s press secretary—offered to help her with the growing pile of flowers, Meghan declined, insisting she would place them herself.
Her dismissive response led to some social media backlash, with users criticizing her body language as rude or abrupt, despite her polite words.
Meghan’s reluctance to follow protocol was later rectified after Prince Harry encouraged her to hand the flowers to the aide, which she eventually did.
Royal Protocol: Why Flowers Matter
Although it may seem like a minor misstep, royal protocol surrounding flowers is taken seriously.
For example, any flowers handed to a royal are stripped of their cellophane to prevent them from blowing away.
If the royals are on tour, some flowers are displayed in their hotel room, while others are donated to hospitals or charities.
The practice of passing flowers to aides is strictly enforced, with the royal staff ensuring that everything runs smoothly and securely.
The Awkward Walkabout: Royal Fans’ Mixed Reactions
For many royal fans, the Windsor walkabout was a surprising and emotional moment.
The appearance of Meghan and Harry alongside William and Kate was the first time the two couples had been seen together since March 2020.
As they walked through the crowds, paying respects to the Queen, some in the crowd were thrilled to see the “Fab Four” reunited, while others remained more reserved.
Body language expert Judi James noted the palpable awkwardness between the brothers, observing that William’s confident stance and Harry’s more subdued demeanor created a noticeable tension.
A False Hope for Reconciliation: The Illusion of a Family Truce
Though the walkabout momentarily seemed like a turning point for Harry and William’s fractured relationship, it didn’t lead to a lasting reconciliation.
The brief truce sparked by their public appearance was overshadowed by the fallout from “Megxit” and the subsequent release of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show and Harry’s memoir.
Veteran royal correspondent Robert Jobson later referred to the idea of the walkabout fostering reconciliation as an “illusion.”
The End of an Era: No More Public Appearances Together
The Windsor walkabout, despite its fleeting hope for healing, would be the last time the four royals were seen together in public.
Following the walkabout, tensions continued to rise, and their relationships remained strained.
For royal fans who had hoped for a reunion, this brief moment was as close as it got to the brotherly bond that once existed between Harry and William after their mother’s death.
Looking Back on the Walkabout: A Brief Moment of Unity
In hindsight, while Meghan’s etiquette misstep may have caught attention, the real story was about the brothers and the fragile bond they tried to hold onto.
For many, the Windsor walkabout remains a bittersweet memory of what could have been—a brief, fleeting moment of unity in a family marked by public divisions and private pain.
For those who still hold out hope for reconciliation, that walkabout is the closest they’ve come to seeing the brothers together in harmony since their mother’s passing.