UK: On Saturday, Prince William and wife Kate made a surprise joint appearance with Prince Harry and wife Meghan greeting a large crowd outside Windsor Castle to remember their long-reigning Queen Elizabeth .
Their "walkout", the first time the brothers have appeared together in public in March 2020, comes at a time when the younger generation of Britain's royal family must shoulder much greater responsibilities.
Following the death of his mother, William, who was second in line to the throne, is now succeeded by his father, King Charles III, as Britain's new monarch. That means William and Kate, both 40 and parents to three young children, will play a much more prominent role as the new faces of the monarchy.
William and Harry have had differences since Harry resigned as a senior royal and moved to the United States two years ago. Their show of unity on Saturday was reportedly initiated by William, and has some observers hoping that 37-year-old Harry will return to the field and help his older brother share the heavy workload that is now on William's shoulders. is on.
“Certainly, as the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine will be in the media spotlight even more,” said Majesty magazine managing editor Joe Little. "By Thursday there was a buffer between him and the throne." "The buffer has been removed."
It was just two weeks ago, when William and Kate announced their plans to move their family from central London to a more rural base in Windsor. Supervisors assumed they were looking for more privacy and a more "normal" upbringing for their children, who had just started a new school year together.
Long before he assumed the title of King Charles III, Britain's new monarch expressed his desire for a "thin down" monarchy with a small core group of full-time working royals and low expenses.
That was before Harry left, and before the princes' uncle, Prince Andrew, was effectively exiled from public life due to allegations of sexual misconduct.
There are not many other recognizable "working royals" - members of the royal family who officially represent the monarch - to share the hundreds of official engagements and many foreign trips that the monarch makes each year.
Charles and Camilla, now Queen Consort, are among those in the group, as do William and Kate, the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, and the Queen's youngest child, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie. The Queen's first cousin, Prince Richard, and his wife, Birgit, have also worked in the royal family, but are far less well-known.
Charles formally conferred the title Prince of Wales on William in his first speech to the nation, which was broadcast on Friday. Kate is now Princess of Wales, the first woman to hold the title since William's late mother, Princess Diana.
Other honorary titles of Charles and Camilla, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, have also been given to William and Kate. This includes the management and profits of £1 billion (US$1.15 billion) of assets across the land of the United Kingdom.
"Together with Katherine, I am confident that our new Prince and Princess of Wales will continue to inspire and lead our national conversation, helping to bring the frontier to center stage where vital help can be given," the king said on Friday. Told. ,
In his speech, King Charles said he believed he would be unable to devote as much time and energy to important causes as the environment and climate change.
William is likely to devote more time to advocating for those issues. He has already made a name for himself by establishing the Earthshot Prize, an ambitious "legacy project" that will award millions of pounds in grants to environmental initiatives over the next ten years.
In his address to the nation, Charles also mentioned Harry, "expressing his love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
The Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan have left the UK in search of financial independence and freedom from intense British media scrutiny.
They have two young children and live in California. Since their departure, Harry and Meghan have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the royals.
During their Saturday appearance with William and Kate, the two couples accepted flowers and condolences from those pressed against road barriers outside the gates of Windsor Castle.
He shook hands with many people and stopped talking to elders and children alike.
William spoke of his grief and how he and his wife have benefited from the Queen's wisdom, guidance and support in his first statement since the Queen's death.
"It will take some time for the reality of life without Granny to really sink in," he wrote on Saturday. "I will pay homage to my father, the king, in his memory by helping him in any way."
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