Sunday 11 September 2022

"No Matter What Room You Are In, You Feel Her Presence": The Sussexes Join the Waleses to Meet Crowds in Windsor

We saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex together publicly for the first time since Her Majesty died in a way many of us didn't expect.

From Charles being formally proclaimed king to the release of details for Her Majesty's funeral, there was a great deal to absorb today. However, I think the moment which took us all by surprise was a show of unity by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The foursome came together in honour of a woman they all deeply loved. Their Queen, their grandmother, their grandmother-in-law.

Around lunchtime, rumours were circulating regarding the possibility of a walkabout by the Prince and Princess of Wales. As the afternoon marched on it appeared to be delayed. Reports suggest William reached out and asked Harry and Meghan to join them, to which immediately said "yes". This is merely speculative on my part, but I expect Charles has been desperately hoping (and perhaps advising) such a show would be both entirely fitting and a balm for the nation grieving their Queen.

Hello!'s royal reporter Emily Nash told CNN: "Both sides felt it was the right thing to do to honour their grandmother. It was a very last minute decision. The invitation from William and Kate...the Sussexes took it up very gladly." Emily added: "It took a lot of courage on both sides to do that."

The Duke and Duchess were due to attend the WellChild awards on Thursday and return to Archie and Lilibet the next day according to several reports. With the devastating news about Her Majesty, the couple have remained at their Windsor residence, Frogmore Cottage. I expect it's entirely possibly plans may be underway to bring the children to the UK.

Harry, Meghan, William and Kate admired the beautiful floral tributes.

Meghan appeared to share a message accompanying a bouquet with Harry.

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Emily Nash spoke of the "courage" it took for the couples to come together. I thought Meghan was initially quite nervous, and understandably so, however once they heard the crowds and then met them, any concerns she had would have been swiftly alleviated.

The Telegraph reports:

'It started as a murmur among the children on their parents' shoulders - the only way of seeing what was going on, so deep was the crowd on the Long Walk, Windsor. "I see Harry, I see Harry." Then, "And Meghan!"

In a very moving exchange, CNN reports Prince Harry told the crowd: "No matter what room of the castle you are in, you can feel her presence. She was a great granny." Harry added: "It's a lonely place up there without her now".

Sarah Gracie shared photos of Harry and Meghan meeting her puppy.

In a lighthearted exchange, Harry asked one family about supporting Manchester United. The couple thanked the family for waiting an hour and a half. They replied, "It was worth it!"

There was a very special moment when Meghan greeted a group of young girls.

I think it was a hug she needed and dearly appreciated.

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The eloquent fourteen-year-old later said: "I look up to her in some ways and it just felt like the right thing to do. It’s still such a sad thing that’s happening now. I just wanted to show her that she’s welcome here."

The Duchess greeting the crowds.

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The Telegraph reports: "The Duchess of Sussex was seen shaking the hands of several children and well-wishers at Windsor. She walked over to a section of the crowd and approached a teenager, who was seen putting her hand over her mouth in shock. The Duchess and her husband spoke briefly for a few moments and Meghan could be seen assuring a young girl by putting her hand on her shoulder."

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Meghan receiving flowers.

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The Duke and Duchess told the crowds the family greatly appreciated their words and kindness in coming out to honour the Queen.

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Another touching moment came during the walkabout when the Princess told a group little Louis said after hearing his "Gan-Gan" had passed, "At least Grannie is with Grandpa now." A sentiment all of us share. Kate also said: "At times like this, you've got to come together."

It coincided with the release of a statement by the Prince of Wales: "On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign. I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. 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."

The Telegraph adds:

"Nicola Standen, 44, from Witham, Essex said that the Queen would be proud of her grandsons the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex for coming out and greeting crowds and Windsor Castle together.

Mrs Standen said: "That's probably what she ultimately wanted.

"Nobody wants any upset in their family and you have to support each other at this time.

"I'm sure she's looking down and is very proud of the brothers together.

"They've had such grief themselves so it's good that they can support each other."

As one lady said: "If she's looking down, she would be very, very happy."

Family meant everything to the Queen and there's no one who would have been happier to see this.

The royals returning to Frogmore Cottage and Adelaide Cottage after a very poignant and meaningful walkabout with members of the public.

A departure video.

The entire walkabout is available here. There's another excellent video from the walkabout available here.

The Duchess was sombre in black.

Finally -- and very importantly -- details for Her Majesty's funeral, which will take place on Monday, 19 September have been shared. The King has declared the day a bank holiday. Below, the full details from Buckingham Palace:

'The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September at 1100hrs BST. Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.

The Queen's Coffin currently rests in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle. Her Majesty's Coffin will travel to Edinburgh tomorrow, Sunday 11th September, by road, to arrive at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday 12th September.

On the afternoon of Monday 12th September, a Procession will be formed on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to convey the Coffin to St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. The King and Members of the Royal Family will take part in the Procession and attend a Service in St Giles’ Cathedral to receive the Coffin.

Her Majesty's Coffin will then lie at rest in St Giles' Cathedral, guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, to allow the people of Scotland to pay their respects.

On the afternoon of Tuesday 13th September, The Queen's Coffin will travel from Scotland by Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, arriving at RAF Northolt later that evening. The Coffin will be accompanied on the journey by The Princess Royal.

The Queen's Coffin will then be conveyed to Buckingham Palace by road, to rest in the Bow Room. On the afternoon of Wednesday 14th September, the Coffin will be borne in Procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall until the morning of the State Funeral.

The Procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard. After the Coffin arrives at Westminster Hall, The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service assisted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and attended by The King and Members of the Royal Family, after which the Lying-in-State will begin.

During the Lying-in-State, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects to The Queen. On the morning of Monday 19th September, the Lying-in-State will end and the Coffin will be taken in Procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral Service will take place.

Following the State Funeral, the Coffin will travel in Procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the Coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk. A Committal Service will then take place in St George's Chapel.'

I leave you with one more photo of the Duke and Duchess.

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Admin Note: This is not a time for criticism or derogatory comments regarding any member of the family. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the focus firmly where it belongs -- on celebrating the Queen's life.

27 comments:

  1. It was lovely to see Kate smile at Meghan. Charlotte, these posts are such a labor of love by you. I know they are so appreciated, especially in the UK. Thank you.

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    1. Yes Charlotte, Thank you! It is such a labor of love for you to do this for us!
      Bless You!! xoxo

      Becca
      USA

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  2. Thank You, Charlotte for covering this day. So much happened.

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  3. I thought I'd read somewhere that the royal family always travels with a set of black clothes in case of a death. This started after the Queen had no black dress with her in Kenya when her father died and one was brought to her to change into on the plane when she returned. I wonder if Harry and Meghan had clothes with them or had to quick purchase some? Does it really matter? :) Nope, but Meghan (and Kate) looked very nice today in what was possibly a difficult and I'm sure emotional situation.

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    1. Someone had a good comment on Instagram. Meghan recently mentioned they still had belongings in Frogmore. Their black wardrobe for this moment was likely included in those, because they knew if and when they would need it, it would be in the UK rather than in California. Apologies if this comment sent twice
      -Casey in NC

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    2. It seems like such a tangent, but I was thinking about the same thing too, with regards to Meghan.

      Becca
      USA

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  4. It was so beautiful to see Harry and Wills come together again in this great moment of sadness. It is beautiful and their mother would of wanted this. Both Meghan and Catherine looked beautiful

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  5. Merci Charlotte pour tout ce beau travail que vous faites et prie pour que tous vos efforts et notre admiration pour ces 4 soient récompensés par au moins un effort de paix durable entre eux.
    Maintenant, j'espère voir les petits Sussex et que la méchanceté gratuite et le mépris leur soit épargnés.
    Beaucoup d'amour et de courage aux Sussex dans ces moments difficiles.Thank you Charlotte for all the great work you do and pray that all your efforts and our admiration for these 4 will be rewarded with at least one lasting peace effort between them. Now I hope to see the little Sussexes and be spared gratuitous malice and contempt. Much love and courage to the Sussexes in these difficult times.

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  6. It was lovely to see the brothers side-by-side. So often it takes profound sadness to bring together those that have split apart for reasons only they know. It's a shame that it took the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to bring her grandsons together again. For Prince William and Prince Harry, I hope they will continue to heal their rift.

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  7. I’ve been following you for years Charlotte. I feel like you always try to give the most unbiased reporting more than many journalists. This is the first time I’m seeing this picture of Kate and Meghan smiling and getting along well.

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    1. Very welcome with you for the photos not at all selected at random. I actually find the photos chosen by Charlotte and her remarks very touching; like for example the last photo of this article where she invites us to appreciate this photo of Harry and Meghan who are both holding hands going in opposite directions: for someone it may seem like a photo like any other but yet this image is strong, I imagine them already old together and still holding these hands that have been and will be the mark of the support they have for each other.

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  8. That hug The girl Gave to Meghan... So sweet. Meghan definetely needed it. So glad there's still compassion in this world.❤️❤️

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  9. It's really nice to see this reunion. Though I understand the two couples are on different paths and have very different worldviews I truly hope they can all start to heal their relationship if only for the sake of their children. It'd be nice to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex come back more often to the UK with their children and it'd be nice for the Prince and Princess of Wales to go visit them in the US every once in a while because it has to be mutual, the effort that is. We can only hope.

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    1. Anon 10:30 It would be very nice if they could even arrange for their children to meet a few times a year. If everyone could act cordial, eventually they will feel that way.

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  10. I commented at length over on the Duchess Kate blog. So I will keep this brief. Thanks to Charlotte for keeping both of these blogs up to date. I know it must keep you very busy. But I do appreciate your efforts.

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  11. It seemed a little odd that all of the RF were at Balmoral except H&M (understand why W&K weren't there). And all of the grandchildren at Balmoral had a parent to console them. Harry seems so alone except for Meghan, who looked scared. I hope their children can reunite with them soon.

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  12. Charlotte, your blog is where I come for details and photos during this sad time for the UK.

    It was gratifying to see the two brothers and their wives coming together to honor Her Majesty. I was encouraged by your report that William and Kate reached out to Harry and Meghan - and their invitation was immediately accepted. I hope this is the start of a reconciliation.

    Thank you for all you are doing to provide such wonderful coverage of these historic events.

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  13. The Queen would have been happy to see the reunion of her two grandsons and their wives. I hope more healing takes place as they ponder her long life of service and kindness.

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  14. What dismays me no end is the amount of malice directed toward Meghan based on nothing but bias, malice, conjecture and projection. On one platform I called out the perp on their indefensible views and received a curt response that I had obviously drifted into a forum to which I did not belong and in which I was not welcome. The sign might as well have read "This is Camp Meghan Haters Only". How can sh*t like that be repudiated and rifts that deep ever heal?

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  15. I hope the Duke and Duchess are able to find a way to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to England because two weeks is an awfully long time to be away from children so small, and it probably makes this grieving and mourning period worse for the Duke, I'm sure it'd be all a little bit more bearable if the children were with them. Also I can't imagine the Duke spending his birthday both in mourning and away from his kids, that's just too sad. Thoughts and prayers.

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  16. A very sad time it is.
    For a moment my heart skipped a beat seeing the four of them together. I have hope for the future. I couldn't helped but smiling, so much warmth has filled my heart. Instandly I was able to forgive the things that was said in that interview. For a very long time I had mixed feelings towards Prince Harry and Meghan. Thank you to Prince William and Prince Harry, I am sure you made the King proud. May be we will be blessed with a photo of King Charles, Queen Camilla together with his two sons, their wives and the five grandchildren in a photo in the near future
    Renee South Africa

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  17. Dear Charlotte, thank you for your hard work on covering this sad news. I really appreciate to come on your two blogs (Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan) because I know that I will find kind words and an almost journalistic work. You write so well and with respect.

    Since thursday I share the pain of whose who are affected. I did'nt comment on your blogs since now because english is not my mother langage and it is hard for me to find the right words.
    On this appearance of Meghan, she looks so human with her cracks, her pain and it seems to me, her desire not to make a mistake. His hug with the young girl must have reassured her and showed her that she is always appreciated.

    PS : If I can allow myself a parenthesis in these difficult times, I no longer receive newsletters on my mailbox for one or two months. Am I the only one in this case ?

    Anna from France

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    1. Hello Anna, Blogger has removed the 'Follow By Email' option. I am searching for the most effective and reliable replacement, thank you.

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    2. Thank you for your answer. Your blogs are the best place to be kept informed, with respect for the Royals and for us as readers. And you always find the best pictures, this is an amazing work. Thank you again for all you do.

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  18. Thank you for your post, Charlotte. You gather the information well and it feels much easier to consume it here rather than in some newspaper.
    I pray for the whole family, that they can be more united and be able to reconcile more.

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  19. I really hope that this was a starting point to get them talking again. Maybe with the very clear lines that have been drawn it makes it easier for them. H&M are obviously continuity to follow their path outside the royal business and W&K are now just a few of years from the throne (sadly, I doubt Charles makes it to even 20) and are the P&P of Wales now. In the royal world that’s miles in hierarchy to before- even though it was always there. So I hope this clear separation in that area helps them to find back to a trusting and warm relationship.
    BUT I will hold my horses. Because this glimpse didn’t really show of they feel. We all couldn’t tell before H&M left how unhappy they were for a long time. So they might have just sucked it up for this event. Only time will tell.

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Welcome to Mad About Meghan! We do so look forward to reading your thoughts. Constructive, fair debate is always encouraged. Hateful, derogatory terms and insults are not welcome here. This space focuses on Harry and Meghan, not any other member of the Royal family. It's not the place to discuss politics either. Thank you for reading, we look forward to your comments :)