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Prince Harry 'Cut Off' Close Friends During Meghan Markle's Pregnancy: 'There's a Lot of Resentment'
Stephanie Petit
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Many close to Prince Harry are concerned about the growing distance between him and the rest of the royal family — especially given that he has recently pulled away from many longtime friends.
A well-connected source tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story that the Queen’s grandson, 35, “cut off” many of his close pals “about six months into” Meghan Markle‘s pregnancy with son Archie, born May 6.
“Most no longer even have his cell number,” says the insider. “They totally understand that men often drift from their friends after marriage, but there’s still a lot of resentment because they had been so close for so long.”
One exception is Charlie van Straubenzee. The pals met at Ludgrove Prep School and have remained close ever since — in fact, they were all smiles attending each other’s weddings just months apart in 2018. Van Staubenzee is also a godfather to Archie. RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Felt Their ‘Hand Was Forced’ to Leave Royal Family Amid ‘Bad Blood’
Neil Mockford/GC Images
Charlie van Straubenzee, Prince Harry and James Middleton attend the England vs. Australia match during the Rugby World Cup 2015 | Max Mumby/Indigo/GettyMeghan, 38, remains close to many of her friends from her pre-royal days. It is believed that Archie stayed in Canada with Meghan’s longtime pal Jessica Mulroney, whose three children served as page boys and a flower girl in the couple’s royal wedding in May 2018, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to London last week for engagements. In addition, Meghan’s Suits costar Abigail Spencer was spotted with the couple during a New Year’s Day hike. Both women also attended Meghan’s baby shower in Feb. 2019, held in New York City.
Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney | George Pimentel/WireImageA fracture between Prince Harry and Prince William began when the older sibling voiced concern that Harry and Meghan were moving too fast — and the split widened as the newlyweds increasingly felt ostracized from the rest of the family.
Those close to Prince Charles deny reports that the heir sought to slim-down the monarchy by squeezing out his younger son and daughter-in-law. “Charles has always envisioned working with both of his sons and their families in the future,” says a close source. The leaner monarchy that has been proposed by Charles for cost-cutting purposes “included Harry and whoever he married,” adds a palace insider.
Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry | Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImageThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement last week announcing their intent to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution” — however, the public announcement came with little formal warning and left senior royals “hurt,” a royal source says.
But in this week’s cover story, a family friend tells PEOPLE that the couple felt they had no choice but to manage things the way they did, even as they went against the family’s “never complain, never explain” mantra.
“This is not how they wanted to handle this, but Meghan and Harry’s hand was forced,” says the friend. “There is so much bad blood in that family — it’s toxic.”
The friend adds, “If relationships had been better, things would have been different.”
One of Canada's biggest newspapers has suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aren't welcome in the country. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)One of Canada’s biggest newspapers has suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aren’t welcome in the country, saying it is “not a halfway house for anyone looking to get out of Britain while remaining a royal”. An editorial in the Globe and Mail criticised Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties, saying Canada shouldn’t allow them to move there. Meghan and Harry have said they plan to split their time between the UK and Canada as they work to forge a “progressive” new role within the Royal Family. But the newspaper’s editorial said it isn’t quite that simple. “Our royals don’t live here. They reign from a distance,” the editorial says.
The newspaper urged the Canadian government not to grant residence to Harry and Meghan. (DPPA/Sipa USA)
It went on: “A royal living in this country does not accord with the long-standing nature of the relationship between Canada and Britain, and Canada and the Crown. “This country’s unique monarchy, and its delicate yet essential place in our constitutional system, means that a royal resident… is not something that Canada can allow.”
The editorial stresses Canada’s place in the Commonwealth as an “equal, independent nation” to Britain and urged the Canadian government to deny residence to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It continues: “The concept of the Crown is at the centre of the Canadian system of government. But though Canada borrowed from Britain, it isn’t Britain and never was. And this country long ago took steps to make that unmistakably clear.”
The newspaper said Justin Trudeau, pictured here in 2018 with Harry, shouldn't allow the couple to move to Canada. (Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images)The editorial adds: “Canada is not a halfway house for anyone looking to get out of Britain while remaining a royal. “In response to the sudden announcement of a vague and evolving plan for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move to Canada while remaining part of the royal family, the Trudeau government’s response should be simple and succinct: No.” The editorial comes as Harry was set to carry out his first public engagement since his and Meghan’s bombshell announcement last week. The royal will host the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw at Buckingham Palace, meeting with representatives from all 21 nations taking part. Harry is also the face of a mental health awareness campaign launched by 2021 Rugby League World Cup organisers. As part of a five-point mental fitness charter, organisers have committed to training every player, official, match official and volunteer to look after their own mental fitness by the final game of the tournament, which takes place in October and November in 2021.
Harry is the fact of a groundbreaking mental health campaign. (Paul Harding/PA Wire)In a video message for the launch, Harry said: “This Charter will build on the brilliant work already happening in rugby league by committing to training and educating all those involved in the tournament and the wider rugby league family, not only in how they can look after their own mental fitness but also support others to do the same.” Meghan has already returned to Canada but Harry is expected to stay in the UK into next week, with some reports suggesting there could be further discussions about his future role in the Royal Family after the Queen agreed to his and Meghan’s wish to step back as senior royals. Meghan has been photographed in the province of British Columbia visiting the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver.
Meghan has already returned to Canada to be with Archie while Harry remains in the UK. (PA)Despite the drama surrounding him and Meghan, Harry launched the next leg of his Invictus Games with an Instagram video on Wednesday evening, announcing the event will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 2022. It came as a legal document submitted to the High Court by the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline was published, responding to Meghan’s legal action over an article featuring parts of a handwritten letter to her father. In the document, the Duchess is accused of being more worried about the “unflattering” effect of the publication of extracts written to Thomas Markle than any breach of her data protection rights. Mr Markle is the main witness for Associated Newspapers and he and Meghan could end up facing each other in court. The Duchess, known as the claimant in the legal documents, is seeking damages from Associated Newspapers for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.
Queen Elizabeth Just Made a Statement About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but Didn't Call Them "Duke and Duchess of Sussex"
Queen
Elizabeth has released her first official statement following Meghan
Markle and Prince Harry's decision to step back as senior royals.
The Queen said she understands Meghan and Harry's "wish to live a more independent life as a family."
Welp, it looks like we have a brand spankin' new update on today's episode of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Quit the Royal Family! Remember
last week when you were completely minding your business, and then
Meghan and Harry decided to up and leave the British monarchy as senior
royals, allegedly without asking for permission to do so? Feels like an entire lifetime ago, doesn't it?
To put it in layman's terms, the other royals were pissed TF off when they learned of Meghan and Harry's move to step back as senior royals.
Queen Elizabeth issued a brief statement through Buckingham Palace and
called their unplanned exit a "complicated issue" that needed more time
to be discussed.
Photo credit: VICTORIA JONES - Getty Images“Discussion
with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” the
statement read. “We understand the desire to take a different approach,
but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
"Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.
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.
Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.
It
has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in
which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.
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."
Uh, is that some passive
aggressiveness I detect in this statement? Maybe. (See: "Although we
would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the
Royal Family...") And did the Queen not address Meghan and
Harry by their formal Sussex titles? Nope, you didn't imagine that
either. So from what I gather from this statement is that while the
Queen and the rest of the royal fam is less than thrilled, Meghan and
Harry have officially been let go. What a time to be alive!
Prince Harry Heard Asking Disney CEO About Getting Meghan Markle Voiceover Work in Resurfaced Video
Prince Harry Heard Asking Disney CEO About Getting Meghan Markle Voiceover Work in Resurfaced Video
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have been looking towards the future months before announcing their plans to step back from the royal family.
While attending the London premiere of The Lion King in July 2019, Harry, 35 had a brief conversation with Disney CEO Bob Iger that seemed to involve the possibility of lining up some future work for the former Suits actress, 38. “You know she does voiceovers,” Harry can be heard saying in a video of the encounter, as Iger replies, “Oh, really?”
“Did you know that?” Harry says. “You seem surprised.”
“Sure,” Iger replies, according to the video. “We’d love to try.”
The video resurfaced over the weekend, after it was reported that Meghan had signed a voiceover deal with Disney, benefitting conservation charity Elephants Without Borders.
According to the U.K. outlet The Sunday Times, the deal was signed before Meghan and Harry’s bombshell announcement.
Disney has yet to comment on the report. RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Could Make ‘Hundreds of Millions’ Post Royal Exit: Expert
When Harry and Meghan announced their plans to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family” last Wednesday, they revealed plans to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
In addition to working to “becoming financially independent,” the couple also shared their intention to “balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America.”
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity,” they wrote. Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/POOL/AFP via GettyAs conversations surrounding their bombshell announcement have continued, palace sources told PEOPLE on Saturday that Queen Elizabeth has ordered a family summit at her country home in Sandringham on Monday, in order to “talk things through.”
It is likely the Duchess of Sussex will participate via phone if it happens within the right timeframe, bearing in mind that she is currently in Vancouver Island, Canada. RELATED: Prince William Tells Pal of His ‘Sadness’ That He and Prince Harry Are ‘Separate Entities’
The high-level meeting raises the prospect that a conclusion is in sight to the unprecedented talks to find a solution that works for the Sussexes and the family.
“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 source shared. “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.”
The source would not be drawn on the timing of Monday’s meeting or whether it was in order to conclude the talks and come to a final agreement, saying, “there is a range of possibilities for the family to review.”
The Duke of Sussex will come face-to-face with the Queen on Monday amid Buckingham Palace fears that he and his wife could go public with damaging accusations about the family if they do not get what they want.
As the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge join forces to confront the Duke, 35, for the first time since he announced plans to walk away from his role, the threat of a “no-holds barred” television interview loomed large.
The crisis summit taking place at Sandringham is expected to last several hours as the family combs through the various scenarios that could form a blueprint for the Sussex’s “progressive” new roles.
Prince Charles was due to travel back from Oman on Sunday night for the family summit having flown out to attend a condolence ceremony following the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
The Queen has made it clear she wants the “Sussex situation” as it has become known, resolved within days to prevent further damage to the monarchy.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, is said to have been left “deeply hurt” by his grandson’s decisions and is angry at their “lack of respect”.
A blueprint for the Sussex’s “progressive” new roles will be thrashed out at Sandringham Credit: Reuters/ReutersThe Duke is “with the Queen at Sandringham and supporting her” a royal source said, although he is not expected to take part in the summit. The Duchess of Sussex is expected to dial in from Canada.
Buckingham Palace aides fear the Duke and Duchess, 38, could prove problematic for the institution if they are allowed to cut loose and are not kept on side.
Tom Bradby, the ITV journalist and a friend of both Prince William and Prince Harry, warned on Sunday that the Sussexes were considering a set-piece television interview in which they reveal their reasons for stepping back from the family.
"I have some idea of what might be aired in a full, no-holds-barred sit down interview and I don't think it would be pretty,” he wrote in the Sunday Times.
While Bradby did not expand on the concerns the couple could voice, courtiers fear they might brand the royal household racist and sexist.
A royal source said there was "concern" behind palace gates about an interview that was beyond the press office's control.
"Just look at what happened with the Duke of York on Newsnight,” they said.
The Duke of Cambridge, who was said to have been upset when his brother appeared to confirm rumours of their rift in an interview with Bradby last year, is said to be particularly concerned that the couple may be planning to "sound off".
"That's why these negotiations are so delicate,” the source added. “The last thing the royals want is any acrimony making it onto the airwaves in a way the palace can't control".
Other royal insiders have suggested the Sussexes are preparing to reveal more about the “challenges” they have faced through friends and sources in the coming weeks.
Separately, one of the Army’s most senior former officers today urges the Duke of Sussex to "put Queen and country first", while James Glancy, a former Captain in the Royal Marines Special Boat Service, said he and many military colleagues would not raise a toast to the Duke, who is their Captain General, if he tried to earn money from his royal position with commercial ventures.
With the cost of security set to be one of the biggest sticking points of the Sandringham discussions, Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, also insisted that the British taxpayer should continue to fund it because the Duke “has done great service” as an Army officer.
The Queen put on a brave face as she attended church on the Norfolk estate yesterday. Dressed in a camel-coloured coat and hat, and wearing a hearing aid, she waved to the crowds as she arrived by car.
Asked how the 93-year-old monarch was, her grandson, Peter Phillips, 42, briefly hesitated before telling onlookers: “Alright.
