Was Harry and Meghan's exit set in motion during the holiday season?
Parting ways with the United Kingdom's royal family may have been in the works for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before the new year. Harry and Meghan's absence from annual holiday traditions has some speculating the final nail was hammered into the coffin around Christmas.
Queen Elizabeth's aides have been tirelessly working over the last few days to finalize an announcement about how Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will exit the royal family.
A statement from Buckingham Palace is reportedly imminent, according to sources who spoke with the Evening Standard.
The issues within the family that still need to be ironed out include the level of security the Sussexes' will have, use of their royal titles, how many months they will live in the United Kingdom and Canada per year, and how they plan to be financially independent.
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On Monday afternoon, following the Sandringham Summit, the queen made her feelings known about Prince Harry and Markle's desire “step back” as senior members of the royal family.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” the reigning monarch 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.
“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” the 93-year-old continued. “It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the U.K.. 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.”
The meeting marked the first time the queen and her grandson met following the shocking announcement on social media last week. It reflected the queen’s desire to contain the fallout from Prince Harry and Markle's decision. A palace insider previously told Fox News that some members of the royal family were not informed of the couple’s announcement before it was made public to the world.
Harry’s father Prince Charles, as well as his older brother Prince William, were reportedly also in attendance at the monarch’s private estate for the meeting. Meanwhile, Markle, 38, is in Canada with the couple’s 8-month-old son Archie.
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Since returning to Canada, she has made appearances at two private events in Vancouver. The Duchess of Sussex visited the Downtown Eastside Women's Center on Tuesday. According to the center's Facebook page, Markle, 38, had tea and discussed issues that women in the community are facing.
She also visited Justice For Girls, where she had tea and spoke with staff about women's issues and gender equality.
Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
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