On Saturday, for the first time in more than two years, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle appeared together at Windsor Castle to receive condolences and remembrances. Prince William, now officially Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, asked Meghan and Harry to join him at the occasion, which he considered "an important show of solidarity at an incredibly difficult time for the family," People reported.

All four wore black in honor of the Queen, who died Thursday in Balmoral, Scotland, at age 96. The princes and their wives were visibly emotional as they accepted flowers and tributes from the crowd outside Windsor Castle on behalf of their families; the four paid touching tributes to one another as Meghan and Harry walked together, hand in hand, before flowers and mourners spread outside Windsor Castle.

The once close siblings have experienced painful public disagreements since Harry and Meghan's decision to leave the senior royal family and move to the U.S. in early 2020; when the couple was interviewed by Oprah in 2021, Harry said of his relationship with William, "At the moment relationship is 'space,'" he said. 'I love William with all my heart. We've been through hell together and we have common experiences, but we've gone our separate ways."

However, Prince William, as the future king, apparently thought it was important to extend an olive branch to Harry and Meghan, although the couple reportedly did not plan to meet during the trip until after the death of the princes' grandmother, the Queen. Harry and Meghan last visited the UK in May to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee, but the four were not seen jointly at that time.

For Prince William, the day was significant in many ways. In addition to seeing his father proclaimed as monarch on Saturday morning, the Prince and Princess issued their first statement on the Queen's death, with William saying: "While I am saddened by the Queen's passing, I am also incredibly grateful. I have enjoyed the Queen's wisdom and reassurance for the past five years. My wife has had the Queen's guidance and support for 20 years. My three children have been able to vacation with the Queen and create memories that will last a lifetime."

"She was by my side during my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it would be some time before life without Granny would truly feel real". He added, "I want to honor her memory by supporting my father, the king, in every way I can."