Prince William expresses pain over Prince Harry's royal withdrawal
Prince William has told a close friend he can’t wrap “his arm around” his only brother, Prince Harry, anymore after he and his wife, Duchess Meghan, announced they would be stepping down as senior royals.
The Duke of Cambridge revealed his pain and “sadness” over the tense relationship that had developed with his younger brother and the split of the Royal Family.
Just days after Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan announced to the world they would be stepping down as senior royals and would be spending majority of their time overseas, Prince William admitted his grief over the breakdown of his relationship with Harry.
The news reportedly left Buckingham Palace in shock, as the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William, 37, were given a little over 10 minutes notice before the decision was released to the world.
The Sunday Times reports the Duke of Cambridge said he hoped that one day everyone will “play on the team” again.
He said: “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that anymore; we’re separate entities. I’m sad about that.
“All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page.”
The Queen has reportedly ordered Prince Charles, William and Harry to a historical summit at Sandringham on Monday to discuss the future of the Royal Family.
The Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said: “This is a landmark meeting which is absolutely unprecedented.”
A Palace source also confirmed they will also discuss the “next steps” for the monarchy.
An announcement is due to be released within the next few days.
They said: “The family will gather on Monday at Sandringham to talk things through.
“Attendees will be Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.
“Following a series of meetings and consultations across the last few days, there are a range of possibilities for the family to review which take into account the thinking the Sussexes outlined earlier in the week.
“Making a change to the working lives and the role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will require both complex and thoughtful discussions.
“Next steps will be agreed at the meeting and the request for this to be resolved at pace is still Her Majesty’s wish.
“The aim remains to have it resolved in days not weeks. There are a range of possibilities to review.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they will work to become “financially independent” as they “carve out a progressive new role” but will still continue to support the Queen.
They reportedly told close friends they want to spend some of the next two months working out of Canada after a six-week trial holiday over Christmas and New Year was deemed highly successful.
The Duchess of Sussex, 38, flew to Britain on Monday after the couple spent six weeks away over Christmas.
However, she quickly returned to Vancouver Island, Canada and it is believed Prince Harry may re-join with his wife as early as next week.