Harry alone with family after Philip laid to rest
Opportunity arises to address Oprah interview
They gamely presented a united front after Prince Philip's funeral, strolling side by side and chatting amiably as they emerged from St. George's Chapel into the sunshine.
But Harry, the Duke of Sussex, 36, was afforded a rare opportunity to have a proper heart to heart with his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, his father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, on Saturday, as they returned to Windsor Castle.
There, after the ceremony, when most other guests had melted away, senior members of the Royal family spent an hour together, face to face for the first time in more than a year.
There, reunited in grief and in their support for the Queen, Harry is understood to have spent valuable time with the Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
It was the first time they had been together under one roof since the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey last March, when the frostiness and tension were palpable.
The group remained locked in conversation, no doubt comforting the Queen in her darkest moment.
But it would have been odd had they not addressed the elephant in the room, Harry's televised interview with Oprah Winfrey and the damaging allegations made by him and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
Aside from suggesting members of the family were racist and had ignored Meghan's pleas for help when she felt suicidal, Harry had accused his brother of being “trapped” within the monarchy and said he felt “really let down” by his father.
In response, the Queen has said the “serious allegations” would be addressed privately, but added that “recollections may vary.”
William was understood to have been furious, while Prince Charles, 72, was said to have felt “let down” by his son and daughter-in-law, whom he had supported “more than he would care to say.”
But on Saturday, they were there to support the Queen and it was she, more than anyone, who had been desperate for her family to resolve their differences. If anyone is the driving force behind a reconciliation, it will be the sovereign, sources insist.
But while conversations may have begun, they were brief. Most of the 30 mourners are thought to have left Windsor Castle soon after the service. Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall have newborn babies, while Edward and Sophie — the Earl and Countess of Wessex — were there with their two children. Prince Andrew left shortly before 5 p.m., while Prince Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges all left at about 6 p.m.