Prince William has said he can no longer “put his arm around” Prince Harry as the royal family prepare to meet for crisis talks following his shock announcement earlier this week.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have “hurt” senior royals with their plans to step back as senior royals and split their time between the UK and North America.
According to The Sunday Times, Prince William said he feels sorrow that he and his brother are now “separate entities”.
“I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
“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. I want everyone to play on the team.”
It comes as the Queen is set to host crisis talks with senior royals and the Duke of Sussex on Monday in a bid to find a solution to Meghan and Harry’s future roles.
The head of state will be joined at her private Norfolk estate of Sandringham by the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge for the crunch meeting – where the “next steps” will be decided.
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It will be the first time the four will have met since the issue engulfed the royal family, and it is thought Charles will be travelling from Birkhall in Scotland, William from his Kensington Palace apartment and Harry from Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle.
Before them will be a range of options, and it is likely the royals will try to come to some agreement before the meeting ends to stop the immediate crisis causing lasting damage to the monarchy.
On Thursday, the Queen, Charles and William gave orders for their households to work with the Sussexes’ team to quickly find a “workable solution” to their desire to change the direction of their royal lives, but still support the Queen.
A royal source said: “The family will gather on Monday at Sandringham to talk things through, attended by 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.
“As we have said previously, making a change to the working life and role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex requires complex and thoughtful discussions.
“Next steps will be agreed at the meeting, the request for this to be resolved at pace is still her Majesty’s wish – the aim remains days not weeks.
“There is genuine agreement and understanding that any decision will take time to be implemented.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have “hurt” senior royals with their plans to step back as senior royals and split their time between the UK and North America.
According to The Sunday Times, Prince William said he feels sorrow that he and his brother are now “separate entities”.
“I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
“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. I want everyone to play on the team.”
It comes as the Queen is set to host crisis talks with senior royals and the Duke of Sussex on Monday in a bid to find a solution to Meghan and Harry’s future roles.
The head of state will be joined at her private Norfolk estate of Sandringham by the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge for the crunch meeting – where the “next steps” will be decided.
Five royals who stepped back from their duties before Harry and Meghan, from Edward VIII to Prince Andrew
Time to vote on the future of the monarchy – and change Britain’s constitution
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It will be the first time the four will have met since the issue engulfed the royal family, and it is thought Charles will be travelling from Birkhall in Scotland, William from his Kensington Palace apartment and Harry from Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle.
Before them will be a range of options, and it is likely the royals will try to come to some agreement before the meeting ends to stop the immediate crisis causing lasting damage to the monarchy.
On Thursday, the Queen, Charles and William gave orders for their households to work with the Sussexes’ team to quickly find a “workable solution” to their desire to change the direction of their royal lives, but still support the Queen.
A royal source said: “The family will gather on Monday at Sandringham to talk things through, attended by 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.
“As we have said previously, making a change to the working life and role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex requires complex and thoughtful discussions.
“Next steps will be agreed at the meeting, the request for this to be resolved at pace is still her Majesty’s wish – the aim remains days not weeks.
“There is genuine agreement and understanding that any decision will take time to be implemented.”
