Queen Elizabeth has called for a crisis meeting in Sandringham involving her grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that they would like to step back from being senior members of the royal family but the palace said that this is going to be a complicated process.
Also asked to join the crisis talk are Prince Charles, Prince Harry's father, and Prince William, his older brother. Meghan will be joining the family via telephone since she's currently in Canada with their son, Archie Harrison.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Prince Harry and Meghan shocked Buckingham Palace, as well as the rest of the world, when they announced their plans to change their roles as royals. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex apparently discussed their concerns over the holidays with the senior royals and were told to put their ideas in writing.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan publicly published their plans on their official website without advising Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William. According to royal reporter Omid Scobie, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex jumped the gun because The Sun was going to leak their plans before the palace was going to make the official announcement.
Prince Harry and Meghan haven't seen Queen Elizabeth in person in a while as the Sussex couple took a six-week vacation in the U.S. and Canada over the holidays with their son. Late last week, Buckingham Palace insiders said that Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth had a four-way conference along with the governments of Britain and Canada.
Palace sources said that Queen Elizabeth wants to find a resolution to this royal family crisis within days. However, whatever agreement made by all parties would likely take time to implement.
Last October, Prince Harry admitted on television that he and his brother had a falling out. It came as news of a rift between the royal siblings have been making headlines since the middle of 2019.
Meanwhile, Prince William also, recently, admitted that he's sad about his current relationship with his brother but he can no longer put his arm around Prince Harry as they are now separate entities. The two princes' had each other for comfort following the death of their mother, Princess Diana, when they were barely teenagers.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Prince William's statement.
