Charles of England and his son William exploded with fury and felt it like a “stab in the back,” while the sovereign was “sad” at first, but then counterattacked.
Buckingham Palace reacted coldly to the surprise announcement made by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to step away from the British Royal Crown. Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not consult the sovereign or Prince Charles of England about her plans. Her Majesty's first feeling was "disappointment" at the reckless behavior of her grandson and his wife, but later she made it clear to them that she had the last word.
The drastic decision to retire from public life as a royal was made without the knowledge of either the Queen or her son, first in line to the throne of King of England, or Prince William. According to The Sun, "they found out on television" about the royal couple's explosive statements, made on social media on Wednesday night. A few minutes after they announced that they were stepping aside from the royal household and Amid the confusion, Buckingham Palace responded: "We understand your desire to start another path, but these are complicated issues that require time."
A source told the Daily Mail: “The level of deception was staggering, and everyone feels like they have been stabbed in the back. "Even their own staff warned against making this public until it was actually properly discussed with the family."
The Queen, 93, was “deeply upset” by the unexpected announcement and William “exploded with anger.” For them, it was a “declaration of war against the family.” And from the royal house, they admitted that negotiations with the couple will not be easy.
Harry and Meghan made no mention of giving up their royal titles or status and insisted they would keep Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor home that was renovated for them for nearly $3 million of public money. A move that was motivated by his terrible coexistence with William and Kate Middleton in Kensington.
The dukes will also retain their state-funded Metropolitan Police protection officers.
After six weeks of vacation at a mansion on Vancouver Island, the couple announced on their Instagram account Wednesday that they plan to retire from royal duties and split their time between Britain and North America, and are expected to May Canada be their second home. In addition, they expressed that they want to be “financially independent.”
Harry had requested a meeting with the Queen at Sandringham as soon as he returned to the UK with Meghan and her son Archie this weekend, following a six-week Christmas break in Canada. Elizabeth II offered to meet the duke, but she still made an explicit request to her grandson that she first discuss her future plans in detail with her father, the Prince of Wales. But the couple defied the order, going ahead with the announcement, with William and Carlos allegedly receiving a copy of the statement just 10 minutes earlier.
“They gave them the wedding they wanted, the house they wanted, the office they wanted, the money they wanted, the staff they wanted, the trips they wanted and they had the support of their family. What more did they want? It is deeply unfair to the Queen, that she does not deserve to be treated this way,” said a former Crown adviser in statements to the Daily Mail.
The former actress's father, Thomas Markle, also spoke to the press upon hearing the news and said he was "disappointed" in her daughter and her husband.
The final straw for Harry and Meghan was the official launch of a new royal portrait of the Queen with her son, her grandson William, and her great-grandson Prince George. Apparently, that image was a direct message to the dukes to tell them that "they are not considered part of the future of the institution."
Today, the family sought to show a show of unity and wished the Duchess of Cambridge “a very happy birthday” on social media. Both Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles and the Queen sent him warm messages and appeared strong despite the news of the dukes' resignation as members of the royal family.
