Latest news with #Megxit:InsidetheSandringhamSummit
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Meghan Markle 'banned' from royal meeting over 'smarter than Harry' fears
When a crucial meeting was called to decide Prince Harry and Meghan's future, the Duchess was left out of proceedings over fears that she was 'smarter' and would be harder to railroad, a new documentary has claimed After Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made the shock announcement five years ago that they intended to step back as full-time working royals, the rest of the House of Windsor was left scrambling. Whilst Meghan and Harry had always seemed confident and at ease during their official engagements, and been firm favourites amongst royal fans, behind closed doors things were not working for their young family - and they decided something had to change. The late Queen Elizabeth called a meeting at her private Norfolk estate, Sandringham, to discuss the next steps, and finalise what Harry and Meghan's future would look like, and what, if any, ongoing formal ties there would be between them and the monarchy. The former monarch brought her private secretary, and invited Charles and Prince William - both at the time future Kings - to the meeting, which was dubbed the 'Sandringham Summit'. A new documentary on Channel Five - Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit - has seen royal experts come together to explain what really happened at the behind-closed-doors sit down with the senior royals, and it includes some shocking claims. Meghan was not in attendance at the Sandringham Summit, having returned to Canada - where the Sussex family had been staying for some time - to be with Archie, who was then just a baby. She had hoped to dial into the meeting remotely, but this was quickly dashed, so Harry had to go it alone and argue his case to his family - and the institution of the monarchy itself - solo. However, one royal expert in the documentary has made the shocking claim that "the real reason" why Meghan was not allowed to join the meeting was because she was "smarter" than her husband. Journalist and expert Emily Andrews claimed, "They all knew that Meghan was probably smarter, brighter, had a more linear view of where she and Harry were going and what they wanted and they probably thought they would get a better outcome with just Harry." The Duchess of Sussex has made it clear that she didn't think it was particularly fair that she wasn't allowed to join the summit that would have such a personal impact on her, saying in the couple's self-titled Netflix documentary: "Imagine a conversation, a roundtable discussion, about the future of your life, when the stakes are this high, and you as the mom, the wife, and the target in many regards aren't invited to have a seat at the table." Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! Expert Charlotte Griffiths said in the new documentary for Channel 5, "I have to say, on that, I sort of agree with her," and another royal expert - Jack Royston - echoed these sentiments. "I have a lot of sympathy for Meghan," the expert said, "watching from afar as this all played out basically having no voice in the room". However, one royal expert - Richard Kay - claimed in the documentary that the rest of the senior royals and their aides, "would have no way of knowing who else would have been in the room with Meghan, would there have been someone making notes? They simply couldn't allow that." Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit, Saturday 31 st May, 8pm. Watch | Stream on 5.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Harry's move sparked 'furious reaction' from key royal who refused to see him
It's been over five years since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their intention to step back as full-time working royals - and at the time, their decision sent shockwaves across the UK. For the couple, things inside the monarchy had become untenable, and something needed to change - but for the rest of the Royal Family, their public announcement that they wanted to adopt a half-in, half-out approach to royal life presented a massive set of issues. The Sussexes had been spending time in Canada before their shock announcement, and Meghan had to return to the country to be with Archie - leaving Harry to attend what has been dubbed as the Sandringham Summit to hash out the details of their exit by himself. A new documentary on Channel Five - Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit - has seen experts and commentators dive into what really happened behind closed doors at the summit, and what the long-term impacts of it have been on the monarchy. One expert revealed that there was allegedly one senior member of the House of Windsor who was left utterly "horrified" by Harry's decision to step back: his grandfather, Prince Philip. Royal author Andrew Morton claimed in the new documentary, "Prince Philip is someone who doesn't take fools gladly, and he was horrified that they had come to a situation where the Royal Family were deciding whether to split up or not." Another expert explained the late Duke of Edinburgh's feelings were so strong that he left Sandringham altogether, rather than come face-to-face with his grandson Harry. "Philip was so angry," explained journalist Emily Andrews, "that he refused to even be there. I was told that he just couldn't bring himself to see his grandson, he thought it was a huge dereliction of duty." Whilst Prince Philip always demurred to the authority of his wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, when it came to matters of the crown, when it came to private matters, said to be "very much the head of the family ". Prince Philip had a very close relationship with both Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William - as well as the rest of his six other grandchildren - and he was called "brilliantly effective" at helping the two brothers when they tragically lost their mother in 1997. Author Tina Brown wrote: "A member of the Balmoral staff [where the boys were when they received the news Diana had died] noted that Prince Philip, who had effectively lost his own mother at the age of 10 when she was committed for three years to an asylum in Switzerland, was brilliantly effective with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities like stalking and hiking to tire them out". Equally, the Independent reports that during the planning of Diana's funeral, Prince Philip reminded those involved in organising the day that "It's about the boys, they've lost their mother." He also helped them on the day of the funeral itself, when he told them he would join them in the funeral procession, saying "I'll walk if you walk." However, despite their close bond, the year following the Sandringham Summit and Harry's decision to leave royal life behind that Prince Philip passed away - only a month after the Sussexes sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their bombshell interview detailing the reasons why they had chosen to walk away. Prince Harry returned for his grandfather's funeral, which, subject to social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a limited number of guests. He paid tribute to his grandfather in a moving statement, "He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Harry's move sparked 'furious reaction' from key royal who refused to see him
When Harry and Meghan dropped a bombshell, there was one member of the Royal Family who was so furious at the Duke of Sussex that they refused to see him at all, a new documentary has claimed It's been over five years since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their intention to step back as full-time working royals - and at the time, their decision sent shockwaves across the UK. For the couple, things inside the monarchy had become untenable, and something needed to change - but for the rest of the Royal Family, their public announcement that they wanted to adopt a half-in, half-out approach to royal life presented a massive set of issues. The Sussexes had been spending time in Canada before their shock announcement, and Meghan had to return to the country to be with Archie - leaving Harry to attend what has been dubbed as the Sandringham Summit to hash out the details of their exit by himself. A new documentary on Channel Five - Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit - has seen experts and commentators dive into what really happened behind closed doors at the summit, and what the long-term impacts of it have been on the monarchy. One expert revealed that there was allegedly one senior member of the House of Windsor who was left utterly "horrified" by Harry's decision to step back: his grandfather, Prince Philip. Royal author Andrew Morton claimed in the new documentary, "Prince Philip is someone who doesn't take fools gladly, and he was horrified that they had come to a situation where the Royal Family were deciding whether to split up or not." Another expert explained the late Duke of Edinburgh's feelings were so strong that he left Sandringham altogether, rather than come face-to-face with his grandson Harry. "Philip was so angry," explained journalist Emily Andrews, "that he refused to even be there. I was told that he just couldn't bring himself to see his grandson, he thought it was a huge dereliction of duty." Whilst Prince Philip always demurred to the authority of his wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, when it came to matters of the crown, when it came to private matters, said to be "very much the head of the family". Prince Philip had a very close relationship with both Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William - as well as the rest of his six other grandchildren - and he was called "brilliantly effective" at helping the two brothers when they tragically lost their mother in 1997. Author Tina Brown wrote: "A member of the Balmoral staff [where the boys were when they received the news Diana had died] noted that Prince Philip, who had effectively lost his own mother at the age of 10 when she was committed for three years to an asylum in Switzerland, was brilliantly effective with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities like stalking and hiking to tire them out". Equally, the Independent reports that during the planning of Diana's funeral, Prince Philip reminded those involved in organising the day that "It's about the boys, they've lost their mother." He also helped them on the day of the funeral itself, when he told them he would join them in the funeral procession, saying "I'll walk if you walk." However, despite their close bond, the year following the Sandringham Summit and Harry's decision to leave royal life behind that Prince Philip passed away - only a month after the Sussexes sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their bombshell interview detailing the reasons why they had chosen to walk away. Prince Harry returned for his grandfather's funeral, which, subject to social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a limited number of guests. Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! He paid tribute to his grandfather in a moving statement, "He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end." Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit, Saturday 31 st May, 8pm. Watch | Stream on 5.
