Harry, Meghan, William, And Kate Reunited To Mourn The Queen At Windsor Castle

Following the Sept. 8 announcement of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle presented a united front as they reunited to mourn the monarch as they walked the grounds of Windsor Castle. The reunion of the fab four was initiated by Prince William, who invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and Middleton at Windsor Castle to mourn the loss of their grandmother. The foursome dressed in all black on Sept. 10 as they greeted the crowds that lined up to pay their respects to the late Queen, and the photos of Prince William, Harry, Middleton, and Markle reuniting are so powerful.

The show of unity is a rarity following Harry and Markle severing their ties to the Crown. The couple announced in January 2020 that they would be “stepping back” from their Royal responsibilities as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a decision unheard of in British Royal history. Though they have kept their royal titles, Harry and Markle pursued independence by settling in California where they have dedicated their time to raising their two children and building Archewell, their nonprofit charity and production organization. Since their move, Harry and Markle have avoided returning to the UK, citing concerns over security as the main reason for keeping their distance, so this reunion was extra-special.

The Windsor brothers and their spouses have not been photographed together all together since 2019. The last event that featured the four together was King Charles’ 50-year anniversary of being named the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. At the time, Markle was pregnant with her first child, Archie, and received harsh criticism from the United Kingdom public for her unorthodox tie into the royal family. In the years since, Markle and Harry have welcomed another child, their daughter Lilibet named after the Queen herself.

The Royal Family lost their patriarch, Prince Phillip, in 2021 and though Harry traveled back to London to attend his grandfather’s service, Markle was seven months pregnant with their daughter and remained in California with their son.

In an interview with Oprah, Markle spoke fondly of her relationship with the Queen of England — “She's always been warm and inviting and really welcoming.” Middleton similarly had a meaningful relationship with the Queen, only made stronger by their proximity and Middleton’s dedication to her role in the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II will be officially laid to rest on Sept. 19 at Westminster Hall.