Queen calls emergency meeting over royal split

London, January 12

Queen Elizabeth II has summoned senior royals to her Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Monday for an emergency family meeting to discuss the future roles of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and solve the crisis triggered by the couple’s bombshell announcement that they were stepping back from Britain’s royal frontline.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, and their father Charles, the Prince of Wales, have all been invited to the meeting, while Meghan is expected join the discussion over the phone from Canada, the BBC quoted palace officials as saying.

Monday’s meeting – dubbed as the ‘Sandringham summit’ – will be the first time the 93-year-old monarch has come face-to-face with Harry since the Sussex crisis exploded.

The couple made their bombshell announcement on Wednesday that they intend to “step back” from being frontline royals, split their time between the UK and North America, and work towards becoming “financially independent”.

It is hoped that the talks will produce a “next step” on the way to defining the couple’s new relationship with the Royal Family – in line with the Queen’s wish to find a solution within days, the report said, adding that there are still “formidable obstacles” to overcome in the talks. — PTI