Queen Elizabeth agrees to 'period of transition' for Harry and Meghan
Updated 03:12, 14-Jan-2020
By Gary Parkinson
Europe;UK
The Queen expects a period of transition for the Sussexes (Credit: AP/Tolga Akmen)

The Queen expects a period of transition for the Sussexes (Credit: AP/Tolga Akmen)

Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to what she calls a "period of transition" in which Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, "will spend time in Canada and the UK."

The UK monarch stated that "Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the royal family," she is "entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family."

Buckingham Palace released a statement after senior royals – the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Prince William – spent two hours on Monday afternoon sequestered at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. 

The 'Sandringham summit' followed the Sussexes' announcement last week that they wished to "step back" as senior royals and become financially independent. The Queen acknowledged that "Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives."

The Queen's statement concludes: "These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days."