Two days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, a wave of grief enveloped Britain.

Florals adorned Windsor Castle as hundreds came to pay their respects to the beloved monarch, reflecting on her incredible 70-year reign.

The atmosphere was solemn, yet among the gathered mourners, a significant royal appearance was about to unfold.

In a customary act during times of bereavement, Prince Harry and Prince William stepped forward to greet the crowd.

It was reminiscent of their united front 25 years earlier, when they, then just boys, faced the public following the tragic death of their mother, Princess Diana.

However, the context had shifted dramatically; both brothers were now adults with their own families, yet the rift between them was palpable after Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal duties in 2020.

The meeting with the public, intended to be a moment of shared mourning, quickly turned awkward.

Reports indicated that Princess Kate described the experience as “one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do.”

Compounding the unease, Meghan appeared to overlook royal protocol when it came to handling the floral tributes—handing them directly instead of passing them to aides, which is the established practice.

Traditionally, members of the royal family hand off flowers to their personal assistants for safety and logistics reasons.

This protocol exists not just for convenience, as flowers could harbor harmful substances, but also to ensure that Royals have their hands free for continued greetings.

However, a newly resurfaced video captures Meghan seemingly rebuffing the aide who offered assistance, insisting she would manage the bouquets herself.

According to a lip reader consulted by MailOnline, the aide, Lee Thompson, could be seen asking Meghan if she needed any help with the flowers.

Her response?

A somewhat dismissive “Oh, thanks, some are over there,” as she gestured ahead.

Although she expressed gratitude, observers noted her body language read as hasty and potentially disrespectful.

Social media users were quick to weigh in.

While some noted her choice of words, they criticized her demeanor, with comments suggesting that she “bit his head off” rather than graciously accepting the help.

Speculation arose that Meghan wanted to create a photo opportunity by laying the flowers herself, adding to the tension surrounding the moment.

Thompson, who was newly appointed as press secretary to William and Kate, had a notable background in media before joining the royal team.

Nevertheless, after his offer was turned down by Meghan, another aide approached her, this time with encouragement from Prince Harry.

Instead of insisting she place the flowers herself, she finally relented and handed them over.

Calling back to established royal norms, the expectation is that aides take responsibility for the arrangement of flowers, stripping them of any packaging to prevent littering.

Surprising for some, Meghan’s apparent lapse in protocol was not an isolated incident.

Footage also revealed her attempting to step in front of William and Kate within the group, further fueling the discussion around her royal etiquette.

Since marrying into the royal family at a later stage in life, Meghan was tasked with grasping the intricacies of royal customs, which encompass everything from handshakes to decorum.

Yet, as some have noted, aspects of royal practice—like managing flowers—are treated with importance, and Meghan’s misstep did not go unnoticed.

While the Windsor walkabout initially sparked hope among the public for a potential thaw in Harry and William’s contentious relationship, underlying tensions remained evident throughout their time together.

Body language experts observed a lack of warmth between the brothers—a stark contrast to their earlier years.

The brothers’ public appearance was a reflection of family dynamics as King Charles reportedly urged them to lay aside their differences for the Queen’s funeral.

This wave of public interest was underscored by fans expressing joy and anticipation for the potential reconciliation of the once inseparable brothers, who bonded through their shared grief after Diana’s passing.

However, the Windsor gathering proved to be a fleeting moment of unity, and while their strained history remained obscured behind smiles and polite gestures, the shadows of past conflicts loomed large.

Just months after this display, Harry and Meghan’s candid revelations in interviews and their Netflix series would again highlight the unresolved issues that continued to exist among the family members.

Meghan Markle ‘Could Sense She Wasn’t Wanted’ as Queen Died

Meghan Markle “could sense she wasn’t wanted” during Queen Elizabeth II’s final hours, as family members rushed to Scotland to be by the ailing monarch’s side, according to a new book by Omid Scobie.

At the time, Prince Harry and Meghan were in Britain for the WellChild awards when Buckingham Palace announced that the queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral, signaling the gravity of her condition on September 8, 2022.

King Charles III personally called Harry, urging him to travel to Scotland as other senior royals were doing.

However, he requested that Meghan not accompany him.

The Sussexes had already announced that Meghan planned to travel with Harry, but Charles explained that the Princess of Wales would not be going either.

According to Scobie’s book Endgame, this reasoning was merely a pretext.

“They just didn’t want Meghan there,” a former palace aide told Scobie.

Meanwhile, a friend of Meghan’s shared that the duchess “could sense she wasn’t wanted.”

Charles also told Harry that William was organizing his own travel arrangements to Balmoral, but Harry reportedly struggled to get in touch with his brother.

“William ignored him,” a family source revealed.

“He clearly didn’t want to see his brother.”

As commercial flights quickly filled up, Harry and his team scrambled to secure a last-minute flight.

They ultimately chartered a private jet from Luton Airport for $37,000.

Upon arrival at Balmoral, Princess Anne greeted Harry warmly and led him to the Queen’s room, where he spent a private moment paying his respects.

However, he soon learned that Charles, Camilla, and William had already left for Birkhall without extending an invitation to him.

Exhausted by the emotional turmoil of the day, Harry ate a quiet meal before retiring to his room.

With no offer to return with the family the following morning—and all of his messages, including a heartfelt note about their grandmother, ignored—he booked his own British Airways ticket for the earliest available flight back to London.

In an interview with People, Scobie elaborated on Harry’s strained relationship with the royal family: “In the eyes of some within the institution, Harry is a threat to the crown.

His ability to think freely outside the institution’s control has made him the enemy.”