Queen Elizabeth was having a hard time when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to leave the royal family. She understood the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but also got the concern of the other members of the royal family who wanted the couple to do it right and not in haste.
Queen Elizabeth 'Very Conflicted' With Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Departure
On Jan. 8, 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping back from their royal duties. His family was not surprised by their decision. However, it put the 96-year-old monarch in a difficult place.
Her Majesty noticed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unhappiness, and she wanted to support them. However, the other royals wanted them to set the "right precedent."
The Queen felt "genuinely very conflicted" about Sussexes' exit, a palace source told royal biographer Tina Brown in her new book The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor – the Truth and the Turmoil. The couple's intention to leave "was clear from as early as the autumn 2018."
"The family saw the split coming only months later, in the summer of 2019," the unnamed insider claimed as quoted by Fox News. "They could all see how unhappy Harry and Meghan were."
The tipster told Brown that the members of the royal family were all supportive. However, they just wanted Prince Harry and Markle to do it the right way.
"Everybody was supportive of them leaving. But they wanted it done in an orderly way. And they also wanted it done in a way that set the right precedent. William's got three kids. The precedent they set for this generation would affect his children. He's very mindful of that. So they wanted it done properly," the source added.
It was reportedly Prince Harry who decided to leave. However, the decision to speed up their departure was made "in acceleration from Meghan."
"I thought one of the best things that Meghan could do for Harry was to take him out of royal life because he was just so unhappy for so long," the source continued. "He needed a wife to come in and say, 'Actually the best thing for you is that I take you out of this.'"
Queen Elizabeth And Royal Family Will Still Have Prince Harry Around If Not For Meghan Markle
Brown spoke with Page Six when she promoted her new book. The former biographer of Princess Diana was convinced that if Markle didn't come into Prince Harry's life he would still be in the U.K. with his family.
Prince Harry had been open about his intention to quit royal life. However, he didn't do something about it until he married the former Suits star. Brown said Markle "enabled" Prince Harry.
"He wanted out and she enabled him to do what he wanted. She was strong enough to say, ‘You know what? You want out. I can make it happen,'" Brown told Page Six.
She continued, "He’s shown ever since that he absolutely hates that whole life, doesn’t like it. If not but for Meghan he wouldn’t have found a way out because he basically was a man who had everything done for him all of his life."
Brown said Prince Harry "had never carved a life for himself." However, unlike him, Markle is a "self-starter" and a "self-made successful woman." So, she helped her husband accomplish what he desired
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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