On Monday, Queen Elizabeth II announced that she along with her royal family are entirely supportive of Harry and Mehghan’s wish to start a new life. The queen agreed to a period of transition during which Meghan and the queen’s grandson would split time between Canada and Britain.
In a statement, the queen wrote,
“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.”
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The queen acknowledged that Harry and Meghan — she omitted their royal titles — “have made it clear that in their new lives they do not want to rely on public funds,” but have not described their new duties or ventures.
She warned that more work needs to be done on “complex matters for the
family to decide” and said that she expects final decisions to be taken in the coming days.
The queen — a robust negotiator who worked with 14 prime ministers
during her reign — may offer a little “cooling off” to the young royals, not
expecting them to reverse themselves, but perhaps giving them a chance to make a decision in favor of a less dramatic break.
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The announcement of the 93-year-old sovereign and leader of the Windsor House was followed by an extraordinary meeting at her Sandringham estate, attended by her grandchildren Harry and Willian and her son and first heir, Prince Charles. Meghan, who is in Canada, is believed to have participated by phone.
On January 8th, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had announced that they intended to step back as senior members of Britain’s royal family.
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