Meghan and Harry Join William and Kate in Positive Sign for Relationship

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met well-wishers at Windsor Castle alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton following the death of Harry and William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

It was the first time the Duchess of Sussex has been in close proximity with the new Prince and Princess of Wales in public since quitting royal duties in March 2020.

The two couple have had much to divide them in the interim following the dramatic revelations in last year's Oprah Winfrey interview but they put any ill feeling behind them in honor of showing respect for Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday.

The royals walked in a row of four in scenes reminiscent of the earliest days of Meghan's royal career, when they were known as the fab four.

They were then seen approaching members of the public just outside the gates to Windsor Castle.

The Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales live a few minutes' drive from each other—Meghan and Harry at Frogmore Cottage, and William and Kate in their new home Adelaide Cottage.

The apparent closeness between them will be a relief after stories in the media suggesting King Charles asked Harry not to invite Meghan to accompany him to Balmoral to see the queen on the day she died.

Harry was also left to organize his own travel while Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, all flew together on an earlier plane.

The queen's death was announced minutes before Harry's plane landed at Aberdeen Airport, while it was still in the air.

However, the four royals focused on grief and mourning as they met the public just minutes after William's first statement on the queen's death, in which he said Elizabeth helped him through the death of Princess Diana, in 1997.

William said: "I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.

"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.

"I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.

"My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can."