London
Queen Elizabeth II and other senior British royals were gathering for a meeting Monday with Prince Harry in an attempt to solve the crisis triggered by his bombshell announcement that he and wife Meghan were stepping back from the royal frontline.
Harry’s father Prince Charles and brother Prince William, with whom he has strained relations, will join the monarch at her private Sandringham estate in eastern England, according to British media. Charles just flew back from Oman, where he attended a condolence ceremony following the death of Sultan Qaboos. Meghan is expected to join the meeting via conference call from Canada as they attempt to work out the “next steps” towards a compromise and nip the growing crisis in the bud. Issues up for debate include how much money the couple will still receive from Charles’s estate, their royal titles and what commercial deals they can strike, according to the Sunday Times.
The newspaper reported that William believes he and Harry are now “separate entities”, breaking the bonds forged following their mother’s tragic death. I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities,” the Times reported he told a friend.
The queen attended church at Sandringham on Sunday where supporters expressed sympathy for her, with some members of the public saying Harry and Meghan should not receive any more taxpayer money if they step back from the royal family. The 93-year-old monarch on Thursday demanded that staff work with the couple to find urgently a “workable solution” that would take into account their demands for more freedom.
Harry, Meghan and son Archie spent Christmas in Canada, with the American former actress returning there this week. Several Canadian media reported Meghan had returned to Vancouver Island off country’s Pacific coast, where the family spent year-end holidays and where baby Archie had remained with his nanny. Senior royals were caught off guard by Wednesday’s announcement that Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted to seek a “progressive new role” and divide their time between Britain and North America. The queen’s office issued a terse statement same evening, saying there were “complicated issues that will take time to work through”.—APP
