Prince Harry was repeatedly told he and Meghan Markle were part of plans for a slimmed down monarchy – but STILL snubbed the Queen, it has been claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex instead last night insisted they would quit the Firm – moving to Canada part-time despite the wishes of the monarch.
The 93-year-old grandmother last night revealed in a strikingly personal statement she wanted the couple to “remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family” but respected their desire to “live a more independent life”.
During the unprecedented crisis talks – which Meghan did not attend as she remains Canada with eight-month-old Archie – the Queen reportedly made it clear Prince Harry and his wife were part of the vision for a slimmed down monarchy.
It was previously reported the couple had felt “driven out” by the royal family – including feeling excludedfrom therecent “line of succession” photowhich sawThe Queenbeaming alongside her heirsPrince George,Prince WilliamandPrince Charles.
But while Her Majesty yesterday appealed to the couple to stay in the UK to work with the family – she agreed to support the pair to “to create a new life as a young family”.
It comes as….
- Princes Charles, William and Harry all left Sandringham separately last night after the gruelling two hour talks
- The Duke of Cambridge was seen looking serious as he drove in London this morning
- Meghan Markle had been expected to phone in from Canada during the talks but it was eventually decided it “wasn’t necessary”
- Harry and Meghan insistedthey wanted to become financially independent
- The couple will split their time between the UK and Canada as aides thrash out the finer details during a transition period
- Her Majesty has ordered final decisions to be made in the coming days
Prince Harry is expected to attend a royal engagement on Thursday at Buckingham before flying to Canada to be with his wife and son later this week as they transition out of the royal family.
Last night’s talks saw the 35-year-old sit down with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William for a gruelling two hours at the Norfolk estate to thrash out his future.
And this morning, an exhausted Prince William was pictured driving in London amid fears his relationship with Prince Harry has reached an all-time low.
The dad-of-three reportedly arrived just 15 minutes before the summit, then leaving the estate separately.
Despite the pair yesterday uniting to deny claims of bullying, a source overnight said the brothers still had a “tense and deeply damaged” relationship.
Meanwhile, it is understood Harry had arrived at Sandringham just after 11am to sit down by himself with his grandmother before the 2pm summit.
The outcome is thatwhat Meghan wants, Meghan gets the line Harry infamously uttered in a row after the Duchess was stopped from wearing an emerald tiara at her wedding in May 2018.
And while Harry is said to have been left “heartbroken” by the decision, Meghan had warned “it’s not working for me”.
While Meghan, 38, was reportedly initially going to phone in from Canada, a palace spokesperson today said: “In the end, the Sussexes decided that it wasn’t necessary for the Duchess to join.”
She had fled back to North America just 24 hours before the couple made the bombshell announcement they no longer wanted to be royals.
Now, the Queen has ordered final decisions to be made “in the coming days”.
Kate Middleton, who has reportedly clashed with Meghan in the past, was also not at the meeting.
Neither was Prince Philip, with the Queen’s husband seen leaving Sandringham before the summit – said to be furious over the couple’s decision.
The four royals, the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry, are not expected to meet again anytime soon in person – with future discussions to be held on the phone.
The royal family today continued with their duties, with Prince William hosting awards at Buckingham Palace.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall stepped out at the University of Aberdeen with Princess Anne, awarding the Princess Royal with an honorary degree.
A transition period will now see aides thrash out just what the move will mean – including how the pair will become financially independent, and what, if any, changes they will have to their titles.
NEXT STEPS
It is unclear what work the couple will do to fund their lifestyle, however this week footage surfaced of Prince Harry touting his wife to Disney.
The duke was filmed telling Bob Iger, the head of Disney, that Meghan was “really interested” in voiceover work as the pair attended the Lion King premiere alongside celebs including Beyonce and Jay Z.
It has since been revealed Meghan’s Disney deal will see the corporation make a donation to Elephants Without Borders.
The Queen’s statement appeared to give the couple licence to strike commercial deals as part of their Sussex brand.
The pair already have a joint wealth estimated at around 18million.
Harry inherited nearly 7million from his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, but this will have grown with investment.
He is also thought to have had an inheritance from his great grandmother the Queen Mother, so is believed to have around 10million to 15million.
The couple have also suggested their security would continue to be paid by the taxpayer.
And while Meghan and Harry have said they plan to live in Canada part-time, the Sun learned they want to eventually make Los Angeles their home.
They previously signalled they wished to keep Frogmore Cottage, using it as their home when in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson today weighed in on the royal drama, saying he was “absolutely confident” that the royal family would be able to resolve the crisis around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future roles.
The Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast: “My view on this is very straightforward: I am a massive fan – like most of our viewers – of the Queen and the royal family as a fantastic asset for our country.
“I’m absolutely confident that they are going to sort this out.”
