Queen Elizabeth Is ‘Entirely Supportive’ of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘New Lives’ as They Prepare to Exit the Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth met with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles for a special summit to discuss the next steps following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell announcement that they will be leaving the royal family. She released a statement following the meeting to approve the decision — and the family is very supportive of the Sussexes’ decision to “step back” from their duties.
The queen approved Prince Harry and Markle’s exit
Following the meeting of family members to discuss what will happen next for Prince Harry and Markle after they said they wanted to quit their roles as “senior” members of the royal family, the queen released a statement about their discussions.
In a statement released Monday, the queen noted: “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 continued: “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.”
Her statement referenced a “period of transition”
The queen further addressed the Sussexes’ desire to be “financially independent,” explaining: “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.”
The queen concluded, noting there is “work to be done,” sharing: “These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
Prince Harry and Markle announced their plans
The special summit was called in response to Prince Harry and Markle publicly announcing their plans to leave their royal duties.
In an Instagram post, the couple shared: “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.”
Their statement noted: “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.”
They further explained some of the motivation behind their decision, sharing: “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. 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.”
