London: The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II told her grandson Prince Harry, who has decided to quit the royal life with wife Meghan Markle, that he would “always be welcomed back”, it was reported on Tuesday.
On Sunday at the Windsor Castle, the monarch held a four-hour-long “rift-healing” talks with her grandson ahead of his and Meghan’s last official royal engagement next week, the Metro newspaper said in a report.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will join the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
Her Majesty, 93, told Harry that he was “much loved and will always be welcomed back”.
It is understood that Harry requested the lunch meeting and walked almost two miles from his and Meghan’s UK home, Frogmore Cottage, to the castle.
In a report, The Sun newspaper quoted a royal source as saying that the meeting “cleared the air” between the two and that the Queen ‘”had a lot to talk to Harry about”.
It was said to be a “much more relaxed” meeting than their earlier Sandringham summit where they thrashed out the Harry and Meghan’s future plans with Prince William and Prince Charles.
The Queen “accepts” that Harry’s “mind is made up”, the source said.
In a shocking announcement last month, the couple said they planned to step back from their duties as senior members of the royal family and “transition into a new working model” last month.
The Sussexes’ new role was agreed after a summit of senior royals was convened by the Queen at Sandringham to discuss their desire to take a step back and strive for financial independence.
It will be reviewed after a 12-month period.
