Queen Elizabeth II made it clear that the issue with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was “complex”.
The late queen with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The late Queen Elizabeth was said to have been left feeling emotional after Prince Harry’s decision to leave the Royal Family.

After the Sandringham summit in 2020, where senior members of the Royal Family sat down to discuss Harry and Meghan Markle’s future inside the Firm, the late queen made a clear but sad statement in which she said that while Harry and Meghan Markle were no longer going to be working members of the family, they were still “valued members” of her personal family.

The summit, which was attended by the late Queen, Prince Harry, King Charles and Prince William, took place after the couple announced their desire for independence in January 2020.

The couple said this was a result of press intrusion and the need to create a safe environment for their family.

After the summit, the late queen released a statement to inform the public about the “constructive” progress that was being made in response to Harry’s wishes.

She wrote at the time: “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”

“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 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.”

Prince Harry with Queen Elizabeth II

The late Queen and Prince Harry had always had a close relationship

The summit and Harry’s decision to leave the UK set off a string of rifts within the family, with the couple leaving the royal fold completely.

The pair moved permanently to America and went on to share personal matters of the Royal Family in a bombshell Ophrah Winfrey interview in 2021 where they made accusations against the “Firm”.

The late Queen responded to this at the time with a public statement that said the family will deal with all matters set out in the interview privately.

Despite this bombshell, it was believed that Harry was still close to his grandmother at the time of her death regardless of other family rifts he had, including with his brother Prince William.

He attended her bedside just hours after her death in September 8.