queenprinceharrymeghanmarkle © Photo: Getty Images

The Queen will hold Meghan and Harry family summit at Sandringham on Monday

A palace source tells HELLO! Meghan is likely to join by phone

Emily Nash - London
Royal EditorLondon
January 11, 2020

The Queen has summoned her family to Sandringham on Monday to talk through the "next steps" for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry will join Her Majesty in Norfolk along with his father the Prince of Wales and brother the Duke of Cambridge – the first time they have all been together since Remembrance Sunday.

Meghan, who is currently in Vancouver Island, Canada, with eight-month-old son Archie, "is likely" to join the meeting by phone, depending on timings, a Palace source told HELLO!

WATCH: Breaking News: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex step back from royal duties

The family summit will allow the Queen, Charles, William and Harry to "talk things through" in person, as they consider a "range of possibilities" put together by aides in the past few days.

MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make website changes as they negotiate future

© Photo: Getty Images

Talks will take place at Sandringham

MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drop huge hint of permanent move to Canada

"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," the palace source said.

"As we have said previously, making a change to the working life and role of 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."

Courtiers at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace have been liaising with the UK and Canadian governments to try to find an arrangement that works for both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal family, with issues such as funding and security among several being discussed.

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back from royal duties. In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, Harry and Meghan revealed they plan to become financially independent and will split their time between the UK and North America. 

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more