Prince Harry and Prince William were kept apart at Prince Philip's funeral, but their shared loss appears to be bringing them closer

• Prince William and Prince Harry reunited at Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, April 17.
• The brothers walked apart during the funeral procession and were seated separately for the ceremony.
• But they were later spotted chatting, which may suggest their reported rift is coming to an end.

On Saturday, Prince William and Prince Harry were among the royal family members who attended the funeral for their grandfather, Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at age 99.

The occasion marked the first time the brothers had publicly reunited in a year.

And though Harry and William remained apart as they walked either side of their cousin Peter Phillips during the funeral procession behind their grandfather's coffin, video footage showed the brothers chatting after the ceremony - a sign that their relationship could be on the mend.

A rift between the princes has been widely reported since 2018, but Saturday's reunion suggests that the pair may have set aside their differences.

Prince Harry and Prince William were intentionally separated in the funeral procession

Ahead of the funeral, Buckingham Palace spokesperson told People in a statement that this was "a practical change rather than sending a signal."

"This is a funeral and we are not going to be drawn into perceptions of drama," the spokesperson added. "The arrangements have been agreed and represent Her Majesty's wishes."

William and Harry remained apart while Philip's coffin was transported into St George's Chapel.

The funeral procession began at the State Entrance at Windsor Castle and ended at St George's Chapel.

Members of the funeral procession stood in formation outside the chapel, staying socially distant. Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grandchild, remained standing between William and Harry.

William and Harry sat apart during the funeral service

Footage of Philip's funeral service showed William and Harry sitting in different sections of St George's Chapel. William sat next to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, while Harry sat alone in a different pew.

The Queen - who appeared to be in the same seat as she had been for Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding - also sat alone.

As Insider's Samantha Grindell pointed out, guests appeared to be seated according to household in adherance to the UK's coronavirus guidelines. Despite the initial 800-person guest list, only 30 people were permitted to attend Philip's funeral amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harry traveled to the UK for the funeral alone as Markle, who is pregnant with their second child, did not receive medical clearance from her physician to make the trip. The Duchess of Sussex still played a special part in the ceremony, sending a handwritten note along with a custom-made wreath that was laid upon Philip's casket.

William and Harry were seen together after the funeral - a potential sign of reconciliation

Video footage taken after the funeral showed William and Harry walking closely alongside one another and chatting with Kate Middleton. NBC captured footage of the conversation (which cannot be heard) in a video, and TODAY shared it to Twitter.

-TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 17, 2021

The conversation is the first time the brothers have spoken publicly since Harry and Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Harry and Markle said senior members of the royal family made racist comments about Archie's skin. Following the interview in March, Harry told Gayle King that his conversations with his brother and father Prince Charles were "not productive."

As reported by Insider's Mikhaila Friel, tensions between the brothers may have begun in 2018 when Harry and Markle announced plans to move out of Kensington Palace, where they resided with the Cambridges.

A source told Vanity Fair in November 2018 that another reason could be "Harry felt William wasn't rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so."

Harry appeared to confirm the royal rift in October 2019, saying in an ITV documentary that they were "certainly on different paths at the moment."

The rift between the brothers had only seemed to grow since Harry stepped back from his royal duties in January 2020, but it appears that the princes' shared loss of their grandfather may be bringing them back together.