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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Family Departure Is ‘Challenging’ for Queen Elizabeth II
Between news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s official departure from the royal family and Prince Philip‘s recent hospitalization, Queen Elizabeth II has been dealing with some hard times.
“It’s been a rough few weeks for the queen, that’s for sure,” a source told Us Weekly on Tuesday, February 24. “The situation with Harry and Meghan has been challenging, and on top of that, she’s distraught over her beloved husband’s health setback.”
News broke that Philip, 99, was admitted to the hospital on February 16. Days later, on Friday, February 19, Buckingham Palace released a statement announcing that Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, “confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of the royal family.”
“The queen has had some tearful moments mixed with anger and disappointment,” another insider told Us Weekly on Tuesday. “Emotions are definitely running high.”
Amid their distance from the royal family, the queen revoked Harry and Meghan’s “honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess,” according to the Palace’s statement on Friday. “While we are all saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family.”
The former Suits actress and her husband subsequently issued their own statement. “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role,” their message read. “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Harry and Meghan — who share 21-month-old son Archie and announced earlier this month that they were expecting their second child together — first revealed plans to “step back” from the royal family in January 2020. At the time, the couple, shared their plans to become “financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment,” their Instagram statement read. “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages.”
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