Queen, Prince Harry and Charles locked in ‘crisis talks’ over quickie divorce from Royal Family ‘in days not weeks’
THE Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William were locked in crisis talks with Prince Harry today - as their teams work to grant the Sussexes a quickie divorce from the Royal Family.
A Buckingham Palace source revealed the bombshell split could "take days not weeks" as staff were ordered to unravel difficulties resolving Meghan and Harry's future as fast as possible.
Her Majesty led the crunch meeting of the four households as she dialled in from Sandringham, Charles from Scotland, William on the phone in London and Harry speaking from home in Windsor.
The Queen was left "disappointed" by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell announcement they are quitting as senior royals and moving to North America.
No other members of the Royal Family were consulted before the shock statement was issued last night, and the "hurt" Monarch was taken by surprise.
The tension and distraction overshadowed Kate Middleton's 38th birthday celebrations, as many royals gathered at Kensington Palace today.
Today a source revealed: "The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge have directed their teams to work together at pace with Governments and The Sussex Household to find workable solutions."
They added: "[It's] expected to take days not weeks."
Harry and Meghan announced they will be "financially independent" in their new lives, but will still support the Queen and likely take money from Prince Charles' Dutchy of Cornwall Estate.
It comes after it was revealed the Queen reportedly learned of the announcement when the news broke on TV, and Charles and William only got a statement copy ten minutes before it went live.
And even the Sussexes' own aides were said to be stunned as they had been kept in the dark - and felt "stabbed in the back" as the new website was suddenly launched.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman last night said discussions on their decision to step back from the royal family were “at an early stage”, adding: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
Prince Harry reportedly defied instructions from the Queen not to announce their plans, after she requested he hold off until he talked it over with his father.
And Prince Charles told his son he needed more time after he was sent a draft proposal about his future role, particularly on the issue of funding.
Sources claimed the pair would be "punished" for rolling out their plans without warning.
HOW THE NEWS WENT DOWN WITH THE ROYALS
A senior source told The Sun: “Their statement was not cleared with anyone. It breaks all protocol. This is a declaration of war on the family.
“There is fury over how they’ve done this without any thought for the implications for the institution. The Queen is deeply upset. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge are incandescent with rage.
“Courtiers can’t believe it. There are so many unanswered questions but they’ve just up and done it without a thought for anyone else.
“The plan was there to discuss it and work out a way that works for everyone in the family."
The Duke, 35, and Duchess, 38, said in their surprise statement yesterday evening: “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.
"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.
"It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
"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 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.”
MOST READ IN NEWS
Today the Queen's ex-press spokesman Dickie Arbiter argued on Good Morning Britain she will be feeling "more angry" than after Prince Andrew's "car crash" Newsnight interview discussing his involvement in the Epstein scandal.
And as the Palace came to terms with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell announcement today, the official Royal Family Twitter account tweeted a selection of photos of Kate on her birthday and said: "Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday!"
It included a link about the Duchess and her work in the Royal Family.
