The two couples made a point of walking through the gates of Windsor Castle together, a powerful message given the constant speculation about a family rift.

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Princes William and Harry, along with their wives, Kate and Meghan, have emerged in public together for the first time since the Queen's death.

The two couples made a point of walking through the gates of Windsor Castle together, a powerful message given the constant speculation about a family rift.

The royals spent more than half an hour walking around outside the gates, examining the enormous pile of flowers left behind in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and meeting with some of the huge crowds that had gathered.

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"No matter what room of the castle you are in, you can feel her presence," the Duke of Sussex said, describing the Queen as a "great granny".

The two couples were often separate as they spoke to members of the public and even accepted flowers, but royal watchers saw the moment as the second olive branch extended to the Sussexes in two days.

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Multiple networks reported that the newly crowned Prince of Wales invited his brother and the Duchess of Sussex to join he and Kate on the walk.

"The Waleses had always been scheduled to greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle, but royal sources say the decision to invite the Sussexes was made in the eleventh hour," said Omid Scobie, who wrote the Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom, in a tweet.

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"It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers.

"Just as we saw after the death of Prince Philip and at his funeral, these are the moments when members of the royal family can put differences to one side to focus on the loss that has brought them together.

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"Today's public reunion was a show of the utmost respect to the Queen."

CNN cited a source saying William thought it was important to show unity at such a difficult time for the family.

Charles' loving reference to Harry and Meghan in his first speech to the nation as King, less than 24 hours earlier, was also seen by many as a peace overture.

"I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas," he said, after sharing his pride in William.

Before younger pair's resignations as working royals and move to the United states, the couples had been seen together so much they were nicknamed the "fab four".

But Harry and Meghan's exit, combined with negative comments about "the Firm" made in high-profile interviews such as the one with Oprah Winfrey, led many to speculate about a rift.

The appearance of the four together at Prince Philip's funeral last year had also been seen as a mending of bridges.

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Prince William has released a statement honouring the Queen as both an "extraordinary leader" and a kind "Granny".

"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life," he says.

"I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Granny will truly feel real."

LIVE UPDATES: Historic ceremonies take place in London and across UK

The newly crowned Prince of Wales, like his father and the rest of his family, is juggling mourning a beloved family member while taking on another level of public responsibility.

He thanked the Queen on behalf of his family and his entire generation.

"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," he says.

"I will honour her memory by supporting my father, the King, in every way I can."

Much has been made about the place in history of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest serving monarch and, until her death on Tuesday, the world's.

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https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1568623203404201984

William acknowledged how much was still to be written about his grandmother on the pages of history as the world grappled to understand the significance of the past 70 years.

"I, however, have lost a grandmother," he wrote.

"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."

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For a family grieving in public, a brief emergence from privacy for prayer and an acknowledgement of shared mourning.

Among the flowers stacked at Balmoral Castle's gates, there was a sombre wave, a brief and respectful round of applause and what appeared to be tears as senior royals remembered their mother and grandmother.

Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and princesses Eugenie and Beatrice were among those to emerge from Crathie Kirk church, just across the River Dee from Balmoral Castle on Saturday (late Saturday night AEST).

LIVE UPDATES: Historic ceremonies take place in London and across UK

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They spent several minutes inspecting the large pile of flowers and notes left at the gates.

Eugenie, seen embracing Andrew, appeared to wipe away a tear as she looked at the tributes.

Pain was etched on the face of Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as she crouched by the blooms.

Then, when the time came for those gates to swing shut again, allowing the pile of flowers to grow further, a short round of applause.

The royals stopped and waved, Andrew made the sign of prayer and they turned as one to return to Queen Elizabeth II's favourite place in the world, where her body still lies.

Andrew was stripped of his royal patronages and settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who said she was sexually trafficked to the British royal by the financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17.

Crowds gathered outside of Buckingham Palace ahead of the proclamation of King Charles III.