The two couples, all dressed in mourning black, have been seen together looking at the rows of flowers that have grown in front of the gates of Windsor Castle since the queen died on Thursday, aged 96.
William and Harry, Kate and Meghan were once dubbed the “satellite quartet”, in the hope they could together ensure the monarchy’s appeal to younger generations.
But their relationship is said to have soured shortly after the wedding of former British army captain Harry to Meghan, a multiracial American television actress, in Windsor in 2018.
The two couples were last seen at a Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 2020, just days before their announcement.
They moved to the United States, from where they have repeatedly issued public criticism of life in the institution, including statements about racism.
That angered William, 40, who insisted that “we are not a racist family”.
Harry also claims that William, who is now the heir to the throne after the death of their grandmother, and their father Charles, the new king, have been trapped in a hideout.
But Charles offered what was interpreted as an obvious olive branch to his self-exiled son, who now lives in California and is looking to reinvent himself as a social justice advocate society and health.
In his first speech as king on Friday, Charles, 73, spoke of his love for his second son and daughter-in-law.
The relationship between the two brothers – from Charles’ first marriage to Princess Diana – became apparent when they reunited last year to inaugurate a statue to their mother.
They didn’t see each other during the queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Harry and Meghan are staying at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate, just a stone’s throw from William and Kate’s new home, Adelaide Cottage.
British media said that despite being close, the couple had no plans to meet – until the queen’s death on Thursday.
Initially, Harry and Meghan went on a tour stop, attending two charity events in the UK and another in Germany for the Invictus Olympics for disabled veterans.
But they are now expected to stay for the queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19.
