Queen Elizabeth surprised many, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with how swiftly she made a decision. According to a royal author, Her Majesty dealt with Megxit outright when it resurfaced.
Queen Elizabeth Showed Prince Harry And Meghan Markle She's In Control
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world when on Jan. 8, 2020, they announced that they were stepping back as full-time working royals. There were rumors that the royal family was not informed ahead of or was only informed shortly before the royal couple made the public announcement.
However, according to royal author Robert Hardman, Queen Elizabeth showed her grandson and Markle that she was still very much in control by how swiftly she dealt with the issue.
"I think she is very much in control. And these have been tough decisions of late, very personal ones," Hardman said in an interview with Write Royalty, per Express. "She has moved fast. And I think everybody, especially the Sussexes, were astonished by the speed with which she moved when the whole Megxit episode surfaced."
According to Hardman, he was in the office when the Sussexes' bombshell came out at around 6 p.m. midweek. It didn't take long for the 96-year-old monarch to respond because within two hours, she released a statement, and "pretty much within a week the issue had been resolved."
How Did Queen Elizabeth Immediately Resolve The Megxit Issue?
Over a week after her issuing her response to Prince Harry and Markle's announcement, the Queen reportedly called the relevant parties, the Sussexes and the future kings' Prince Charles and Prince William. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle expressed their interest in carving a "progressive new role" for themselves in the firm.
Apparently, they wanted to be part-time working royals. They allegedly wanted to split their life between North America and the U.K. The Sussexes also wanted to give up the Sovereign Grant and be financially independent by making profitable deals while still representing the Queen.
On Jan. 18, 2020, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry talked about the issue at Sandringham House. The royals did not approve of the Sussexes' plans.
The other senior working royals deemed it unworkable. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth didn't agree with Prince Harry and Markle's "one foot in, one foot out" approach, so she vetoed it, Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie told People.
Thus, the Megxit ended with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving, stepping back from their royal duties, and moving out of the U.K. They settled in California with their two kids Archie, 2, and 11-month-old Lilibet.
The Queen gave the Sussexes a year to decide and make up their mind. In 2021, Prince Harry and Markle decided to stand by their decision. The British monarch accepted their choice and stripped them of their royal patronages and military affiliations.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.