PHOTOSQueen Elizabeth Agrees To Let Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Move Away To Canada
Queen Elizabeth has issued a statement regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plans to step down as senior members of the royal family. The statement comes just hours after the Queen was joined by the rest of her family in Sandringham to discuss the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
On Monday, January 13, the Queen, 93, called an emergency family summit to following Meghan, 38, and Harry's decision to take a step back from their royal duties. The meeting took nearly three hours.
"Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family," Her Majesty said in a statement. "My family and I are entirely 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, "Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives."
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
"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 said.
"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."
Harry, 35, and Meghan shared a statement on January 8, on their Instagram, announcing their plans to step down. “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,” they began. “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."
They continued, “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. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son Archie 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.”
