'Real reason' Meghan Markle didn't attend 'Sandringham Summit' meeting with Harry and royal family
The meeting took place in January of 2020It’s been six years since Prince Harry attended a meeting with the royal family, dubbed the “Sandringham Summit”, which Meghan Markle didn’t attend.
On January 13, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II gathered senior members of her family for a meeting to discuss the logistics surrounding Harry and Meghan’s exit from royal duties.
Days earlier, the Sussexes had announced their decision to step back from senior royal duties to become “financially independent”.
While the Duke of Sussex attended the meeting at Sandringham, Meghan wasn’t in attendance. The couple discussed the meeting in their 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan.
Reason Meghan Markle didn’t attend ‘Sandringham Summit’ royal meeting
Prince Harry flew back to the UK from Canada alone to attend the meeting. Harry and Meghan had spent Christmas in Canada in December 2019 with their son, Archie, and her mother, Doria Ragland.
According to the Daily Mail‘s Richard Kay, a palace insider claimed this was a “highly confidential family discussion, not a conference call”. Therefore, the idea of Meghan calling in from Canada was reportedly rejected because palace officials didn’t know who else might have been listening in.
Imagine a conversation, a roundtable discussion about the future of your life.
Shortly after these reports emerged, a spokesperson for Meghan hit back at the claims.
A Kensington Palace spokesman insisted Meghan wasn’t shut out of the discussion. They said: “In the end, the Sussexes decided that it wasn’t necessary for the duchess to join.”
In their six-part series, Harry & Meghan, the duke and duchess discussed the meeting.
Meghan’s comments about missing ‘Sandringham Summit’
Meghan said: “Imagine a conversation, a roundtable discussion about the future of your life. When the stakes are this high.
“And you as the mum and the wife and the target, in many regards, aren’t invited to have a seat at the table.”
Harry added: “It was clear to me that they planned out so that you weren’t in the room.”
The Duke of Sussex explained that he went into the meeting and was given some options.
Harry then explained that option one was “all in” and option five was “all out”. He then said that he chose option three, which was “half in, half out”. This meant he and Meghan could have their own jobs, but continue to support his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“But it became very clear that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” Harry said. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that were simply not true.
“And, my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s statement on royal meeting
Following the Sandringham meeting, Queen Elizabeth II released a statement.
It read: “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.”
She added: “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. There is some more work to be done. But I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
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