Queen Elizabeth II agrees to Harry, Meghan

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been reported to have said.

The Queen agreed to a “period of transition” while details of a more “independent” role the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are hammered out after a crisis meeting of senior royals at the Queen’s Sandringham estate north of London,

The monarch said “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, Meghan quit as senior royals

“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.”

“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 queen said in her statement.

Buckingham Palace said “a range of possibilities” would be discussed, but the queen was determined to resolve the situation within “days, not weeks.” Buckingham Palace stressed, however, that “any decision will take time to be implemented.” 

Harry and Meghan’s announcement, made on social media on Wednesday evening, took Queen Elizabeth, Harry’s grandmother, and Prince Charles, Harry’s father, by surprise and they were not consulted on the statement.

Harry said that after months of reflection and discussion, the couple planned to carve out a “progressive new role” by stepping back and splitting their time between the UK and North America to allow them their family the space it needed.

They hope to become financially independent and set up a new charity, while continuing some royal duties.