After a turbulent few years, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other members of the royal family have been united in grief after the queen’s death.
The new royal order has prompted questions over the chances of reconciliation between Prince Harry, his brother the Prince of Wales and their father, King Charles III.
Prince Harry took his place alongside Prince William during their late grandmother’s state funeral, although he has stepped back from royal duties and was not allowed to wear his military uniform on Monday.
He also joined the royals who made their way to Windsor and took part in the committal service and interment, in which the queen was to be laid to rest alongside his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince William was seen stepping back for a moment to allow his brother and wife Meghan to take their seats in the front row of the chapel before them, while both Prince Harry and Meghan were seen exchanging smiles with Princess Charlotte. The duchess earlier shed a tear as she watched the procession leave Westminster Abbey.
Now the commemorations are over, they are likely to return swiftly to California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex established a new life for themselves after stepping down as senior working royals.
Megxit — when Prince Harry and his wife stepped down from royal duties and stopped using their HRH styles — made headlines around the world in 2020.
They have been interviewed several times since their departure from royal life, including by US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
Prince William and Prince Harry through the years - in pictures
They accused the royal family of racism, claiming an unidentified royal made a racist remark about Archie before he was born, and that the institution failed to help a suicidal Meghan.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was publicly singled out by Meghan, who accused her of making her cry in the run-up to her wedding.
More recently, her interview with The Cut hit the headlines as the former actress said it took “a lot of effort” to forgive and hinted that she could “say anything”.
She said that “just by existing” she and Prince Harry were “upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy” before they stepped down as working royals.
While in The Hague for the Invictus Games this year, Prince Harry was interviewed by NBC’s Today show and appeared to issue a veiled warning to those closest to the queen.
He said he wanted to make sure his grandmother was “protected” and had “the right people around her”.
He did not elaborate on whether he was referring to royal aides or members of his family, but his comments are likely to have deepened the rift with his father and brother, as well as perplexing palace officials.
Meanwhile, the royal family has been bracing itself for Prince Harry’s tell-all book, which he has vowed will be an “accurate and wholly truthful” account of his life.
The memoirs are expected to be published in late 2022 by Penguin Random House but a release date has yet to be confirmed.
There will be concern in royal quarters that he will delve into his rift with Prince William, his troubled relationship with King Charles, his opinion of stepmother Queen Consort Camilla and the turbulent fallout of Megxit.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrive for jubilee thanksgiving service - video
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrive for jubilee thanksgiving service
But when the pair reunited with the Prince and Princess of Wales outside Windsor Castle after the Queen’s death to read tributes and meet members of the public, the group previously dubbed the fab four seemed relaxed together.
The royal couples were last seen together in public on Commonwealth Day in 2020, two months after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their plans to step back as senior royals.
Despite reports of a rift between the brothers, Prince William and Prince Harry remained cordial to each other and were seen speaking regularly during the visit.
The king acknowledged the couple in his address to the nation the day after his mother died, saying: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
Before the queen’s funeral, the couple attended her platinum jubilee celebrations in June but stayed out of the limelight for most of the weekend.
It is as yet unclear whether they will attend the coronation of King Charles III.
It also remains to be seen whether differences will be put aside to heal the rift for good, and if this would signal a return by them as a more permanent fixture in future royal events.
Meghan Duchess of Sussex through the years - in pictures
