Queen Elizabeth Calls for Meeting With Royals Amid Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Drama

Uh-oh! Queen Elizabeth has reportedly called for a meeting with her royal family members following the news that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan (nee Markle) are taking a “step back” from their royal duties.

“The queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cambridge have directed their teams to work at pace with governments and the Sussexes’ office to find workable solutions, and this is expected to take days, not weeks,” a palace source recently told Us Weekly.

The 93-year-old royal monarch’s call to action doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering she was supposedly caught off-guard by the news of their royal relinquishment. A source told Closer Weekly that although the queen “had an inkling” Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, wanted to retreat from the spotlight, the news still shocked many family members.

“Harry did mention it to her but nothing was confirmed,” the insider exclusively shared with Closer. “The couple released the statement before having a full-on, sit-down discussion with the queen about their future.”

News of the royal drama all began after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who tied the knot in May 2018 and welcomed son Archie, 8 months, a year later in 2019 — announced they were officially taking a step down from their royal duties in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, January 7.

“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,” Meghan and Harry initially wrote in their post. “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”

With their minds made up, the royal twosome plans “to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America,” they announced. Despite raising their little bundle of joy at their home at Frogmore Cottage as well as in Meg’s native U.S. and Canada, where she filmed Suits, they will continue “to honor our duty to the queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages,” the couple explained.

“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,” the proud parents concluded.

Hours after the royals made their bombshell announcement, Elizabeth reacted with a short statement. “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” the message read. “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”

We hope the royal family can work it out sooner rather than later!