It’s true, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are scheduled to meet with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William to discuss the couple’s future role within the royal family. In what has been described as a “summit” by some, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will meet with Her Majesty at the queen’s winter estate, Sandringham. There are a lot of crazy rumors out there in the gossip media right now and Gossip Cop will try to separate fact from fiction.
Prince Harry will be at Sandringham with the other members of the family, while Markle is said to be video conferencing in from Vancouver, where she is currently staying with their son, Archie. No doubt, the number one topic of discussion will be what Prince Harry and Markle plan to do and how the royal family will handle the duke and duchess’ announcement that they would be stepping away as “senior” members of the royal family. The announcement, by most reliable accounts, caught the rest of the family by surprise. It does seem there had been negotiations already, however.
While the tabloids have been rife with false rumors for years about Markle and Prince Harry, it does seem that distance has developed between Prince Harry and his brother. In November, Prince Harry infamously said in a recent documentary that he and Prince William were “going different directions.” In an interview with The Sunday Times this weekend, Prince William was quoted as saying, “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives. I can’t do it anymore.” Those are pretty shocking words, coming from the future king and a departure from the conservative public face he has traditionally put forth in his life.
The reasons for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepping away from royal duties is still very unclear. Certainly, the prince’s history with the gossip media and the paparazzi is playing a part, though. In October, just before this all seems to have come to a head, the Markle and Prince Harry filed a lawsuit against two British tabloids. In the announcement, Prince Harry directly references the death of his mother, Princess Diana. The prince said, “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.” Markle has been subjected to very harsh treatment by the media in the U.K.
Gossip Cop spends a lot of time debunking rumors about Markle and Prince Harry. Most of the time, the stories are completely outlandish and untrue, and even lately the tabloid media has run wild with speculation and conjecture. This rift between the Sussex’s and the royal family seems to have, at least in part, been caused by how harshly Markle is treated in the press. It has left the couple with little option, in their eyes, but to escape the constant pressure put on them at home in England. In the meantime, all eyes will be on Sandringham to get an idea of what the future holds for the couple.
Update: On January 13th, Her Majesty released a statement that read, in part, “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”