London: Queen Elizabeth II on Monday agreed to grant Prince Harry and his wife Meghan their wish for a more independent life, allowing them to move part-time to Canada while remaining firmly in the House of Windsor.
The British monarch said in a statement that the summit of senior royals on Monday was "constructive", and that it had been "agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will spend time in Canada and the UK."
The summit at the queen's Sandringham estate in eastern England marked the first face-to-face talks with Harry since he and Meghan unveiled the controversial plan to step back from their royal roles.
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“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,'' the queen said in a statement. “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.''
The meeting came after days of intense news coverage, in which supporters of the royal family's feuding factions used the British media to paint conflicting pictures of who was to blame for the rift.
Buckingham Palace said that “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."
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