Days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family, the Queen has spoken!
After a two-hour emergency meeting with Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles to discuss the matter, the Queen said in a statement, “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
She went on, "Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family. Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.”
Stressing that “these are complex matters,” the Queen added, “There is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
According to People magazine, the Queen held a meeting at her country home “to talk things through” with Harry, William and Charles, with Meghan calling in from Canada.
Last week, Harry and Meghan shocked the world with their future plans. In a statement on Instagram, Meghan and Harry said, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity,” the couple elaborated. “We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”
Harry’s friend JJ Chalmers recently opened up on the royal drama on “The One Show." Chambers said, “He’s less the captain in the army I knew, and he’s more a father. And I think the decision that he has made, at the forefront of that is to protect his family, because that’s the number one rule is to be a father and to be a husband.”
.@JJChalmersRM is here to share his thoughts on #HarryandMeghan's exit with @PatricKielty and @missAlexjones
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) January 10, 2020
#TheOneShow pic.twitter.com/evfwW5huIA
Just before the release of the Queen’s statement, Harry and William released their own statement, shutting down rumors that there was “bullying” in their relationship. They said, “Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a U.K. newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.”
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