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Posted: 2022-09-11 06:02:43

Only hours after King Charles III's proclamation, many headlines focused heavily on a surprise public appearance by Prince William and Prince Harry, who were joined by their wives Catherine and Meghan outside Windsor Castle.

It was the brothers' first public appearance together since the death of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

It was also the first time the two couples have been seen together since Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex's highly publicised withdrawal from royal life.

So why did the appearance get so much attention? And how was the occasion treated in the tabloids?

What happened outside Windsor Castle?

The two couples were driven down from Windsor Castle to the castle gates on Saturday.

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Princes William and Harry greet well-wishers outside Windsor Castle

They disembarked two four-wheel-drives and began walking together through the gates and out on to the road outside.

They walked as a group over to view floral tributes left outside the gates, before walking down the road, greeting cheering wellwishers who had gathered outside.

After about 40 minutes speaking with members of the public, the two couples then left in the same car, which was driven by William, Prince of Wales.

What's the media coverage of the appearance been like?

ABC royal commentator and editor-at-large of The Australian Women's Weekly Juliet Rieden described the appearance of the two brothers "reunited in grief" as "an historic moment".

"It took us all by surprise," she said.

"Certain corners of the media will always want to make this about the rift between the brothers, but this is about a family in grief and a nation in grief."

Rumours of a rift between Harry and William have rumbled since 2019, with speculation about tensions between the two intensifying after Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties the following year. 

British tabloids, such as the Daily Mail, were quick to analyse Saturday's appearance in the context of the alleged rift, reading into the body language of the group. 

daily mail screenshot, images of the royals together outside Windsor Castle and captions making inferences from body language
A screenshot of The Daily Mail's coverage of the appearance outside Windsor Castle. (Supplied)

"Lots of people make a lot of the body language between the couples. There are endless column inches wasted on that," Rieden said.

"But we can never know what's going on between these two.

"We can never know the pain between them."

Kate looks at flowers
The royals' celebrity appeal and relative youth captures the attention of the media and the public. (AP: Alberto Pezzali)

Rieden said she believed many publications were missing the point of the appearance and not reading the mood of the public, who are "wanting to honour her majesty, of wanting to support the new King."

"The tabloid and social media coverage of the royal family over the last two years has been very toxic," she said.

"I think that the solemnity of this occasion, the outpouring of grief and emotion, and respect for her majesty is taking the media in Australia by surprise.

"Yes, the pomp and ceremony of yesterday and that which we will see over the coming days comes from another era, but I think that gives the royal family and the monarchy that majesty.

"The media can't take that away. It's absolutely mesmerising."

Why all the interest in the brothers instead of the King?

Senior lecturer in history at the University of Sydney Dr Cindy McCreery said the relative youth and celebrity appeal of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan was driving that interest. 

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