The Palace has issued an official statement which outlines the future roles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just days after they announced they would “step back” as senior members of the royal family.
The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William spoke to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan in a crisis meeting held at Sandringham on Monday, January 13 where it is understood they discussed the finer details of the Sussexes’ future.
Harry and Meghan’s fate has been decided at a crisis meeting held at Sandringham.
(Getty)In a statement released by Buckingham Palace following the meeting, the Queen said she was supportive of Harry and Meghan’s “desire to create a new life as a young family”.
“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,” she continued.
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She also addressed the pair’s wish to become “financially independent”, saying: “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.”
Buckingham palace have laid out the logistics of Harry and Meghan’s transition.
(Getty)The logistics around Harry and Meghan’s living arrangements were also mentioned. The pair had made it clear they wished to split their time between the UK and North America.
The Queen supports this decision, saying: “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.”
She ended the statement by adding that the matters were “complex” and that there was still work to be done.
“But I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days,” she added.
In this time, it is expected that logistics will be firmed up around the fate of Frogmore Cottage, where Meghan and Harry currently reside, as well as their security costs and other expenses usually covered by royal grants.
Harry and Meghan intend to split their time between the UK and North America.
(Getty)The crisis meeting, named the Sandringham Summit, was arranged after Harry and Meghan announced they would “step back” from their roles as senior royals.
In a statement released on their Instagram page on Wednesday, January 7, the pair wrote: “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.”
WATCH: Harry and Meghan share their favourite moments from 2019. Story continues…
The pair also confirmed their intentions to split their time between the UK and North America.
“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.”
