Following the news of the Queen's death earlier this week, there have been many poignant moments caught on camera – some even becoming so retrospectively, such as Her Majesty's last photo. We've also seen Prince William (the new Prince of Wales) and Camilla, Queen Consort, support the newly Proclaimed King Charles III, who gave an emotional public address, thanking his mother for her love and guidance.
Now, as the public pay their respects to not only Queen Elizabeth II, but to her surviving Royal Family members, both Prince William and Prince Harry, along with their wives, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, took some time to view the tributes laid out at Windsor Castle.
Given the ongoing rumours of there being a rift between the two couples (and between the Sussexes and the Royal Family in general), it's especially heartwarming that the foursome, who haven't been pictured together since 2020, decided to visit the site together.
While there, all four greeted crowds, shook hands and exchanged kind words, and for the Duchess of Sussex, one of those sweet moments, where she shared a warm hug with a teenage girl, was caught on camera – and has caught the attention of thousands.
Speaking about her meeting with Meghan afterwards, Amelka Zak told news outlet CNN that she wanted to show the Duchess she was welcome here in the UK, despite some tabloid reports and behaviour suggesting otherwise. [The Duchess recently took a newspaper to court after they printed a letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, and has spoken only about her treatment by the British tabloids, including during her and Prince Harry's controversial Oprah interview].
"We were just waiting for her to come and she came near me and asked my name and how my day was, how long I was waiting," Amelka explained. "And I asked her if I could have a hug, and she hugged me back. It was quite an amazing moment. I'm still shaking now."
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She added that when the crowd behind her began cheering, she felt it was the 'right' thing to do. Amelka also shared that she was happy to see King Charles III's two sons and their partners together, putting on a public display of unity (something it seems the new King is eager to encourage, having used his first speech in his new role to 'send love' to Harry and Meghan).
"It was quite nice to see William and Kate and Megan and Harry together... and it was fine, but I just wanted to show her that she's welcome here, I guess," the teenager continued. "And wanted to hug her after everything that's happened, really."
Many are hoping that in the wake of the sadness caused by the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, that the Royal Family may be reminded of the importance of togetherness and heal any fractures between them.
Our thoughts are with all those mourning the Queen at this very sad time.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
