William And Harry's Outing After The Queen's Death Was Reportedly More Uncomfortable Than It Looked

Queen Elizabeth II's death has brought the royal family closer than they have been in years, with even defectors Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed back into the fold as they collectively mourn the monarch. 

However, there's evidently still a long way to go before things can return to normal, with Meghan and Harry's seating arrangement at the queen's funeral raising eyebrows because the couple was relegated to the second row while virtually everyone else was placed in the first, per Page Six.

Likewise, as The Guardian pointed out, although warring brothers Harry and Prince William appeared together while walking behind the queen's coffin, and again at the memorial service in Westminster Abbey, their body language suggested there's still a gulf between them — quite literally, since they firmly kept their distance at all times. 

Sadly, anybody hoping to see a hint of warmth between them would've been disappointed since William and Harry barely looked at each other during the official events. It seems that their public reunion to greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle was also fraught because, behind the scenes, everybody was just trying to get through it for Her Majesty's sake.

The surprising reaction from the British public as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle greeted the crowds at Windsor Castle showcased how thrilled everybody was to finally see them reuniting with the Prince and Princess of Wales. Royal fans were even more excited to learn, per the Mirror, that Prince William reached out to his brother to ensure he and Meghan would be there alongside them.

An insider confirmed, "The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family." However, it took a little while to organize, with the walkabout delayed as a result. Regardless, a source acknowledged, "It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers." 

Now, though, there's reason to believe that it wasn't as happy of an occasion as we thought — or perhaps hoped. People reports that it was actually quite a difficult day for all involved, with an insider describing it as "awkward." The footage looked promising, but the atmosphere was very different. As the source put it, "They were in a stoic spirit of just getting through it for the queen."

The brothers had last crossed paths at the queen's Platinum Jubilee in June, but they haven't been photographed together in over a year, leading many to believe there was finally hope for a reconciliation.

Losing his grandmother was hard enough, but Prince Harry's friend says he's upset with the public amid the queen's death because the main topic of conversation continues to be his strained relationship with Prince William. According to The Times (via Page Six), the Duke of Sussex recently complained, "People need to just stop talking about all this stuff and focus on my grandmother." 

Echoing what the royal insider revealed about their Windsor walkabout, Harry's buddy also confirmed that the brothers are doing their best to get along, but William has been "processing his grief and the death of his grandmother, rather than sitting there processing his relationship with Harry." The Prince of Wales is similarly annoyed by all the press attention, especially during this difficult time.

It remains to be seen whether their shared grief will help the estranged siblings reconnect, but experts agree Harry needs to drop one thing if he wants to reunite the royal family, and that's the release of his upcoming memoir. The Daily Mail noted that, during an appearance on "Lorraine," former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown suggested that the book could be the deciding factor. 

The Telegraph confirmed that the duke's autobiography has been pushed back to 2023, but there are still major concerns over its contents. As a result, there might be a long way to go before things are truly sorted between the brothers.