‘What the hell are they playing at?’: Fuming Prince Philip’s was left in ‘disbelief’ at the lack of respect shown to the Queen by his grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
- Duke of Edinburgh, 98, left ‘deeply hurt’ by his grandson’s shock announcement
- Source said: ‘To say that the Duke feels let down would be a considerable understatement’
- Couple issued statement saying they plan to ‘step back’ as senior royals
Ailing Prince Philip was left fuming after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s shock announcement that they intended to quit as senior Royals and asked: ‘What the hell are they playing at?’
The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, was left ‘deeply hurt’ by his grandson’s decision and said the couple are ‘lacking respect’, a source said.
A source told The Sun: ‘To say that the Duke feels let down would be a considerable understatement.’
They added: ‘A lot of Philip’s anger comes from seeing Her Majesty upset.’
Ailing Prince Philip was left fuming after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s shock announcement that they intended to quit as senior Royals and asked: ‘What the hell are they playing at?’ Pictured: The royal family on Christmas Day in 2017
The couple issued a bombshell statement saying they plan to ‘step back’ as senior royals and divide their time between the UK and North America.
The Duke and Duchess did not consult the Queen or Prince Charles about the contents of the statement before issuing it on Instagram on Wednesday, sources suggest.
It came after the Duke of Edinburgh – who is now staying in Wood Farm on the edge of the Sandringham Estate – spent four nights in King Edward VII’s hospital in central London for treatment for a pre-existing medical condition in December.
The Duke was admitted for a few days as a precautionary measure and for observation, after a period of poor health, which saw him battling a ‘flu-like’ illness for weeks and suffering a ‘bad fall’.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, was left ‘deeply hurt’ by his grandson’s decision and said the couple are ‘lacking respect’, a source said. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex show baby Archie to the Queen and Prince Philip
Harry and Meghan did not join the rest of the royal family at Sandringham on Christmas Day, instead opting to spend the festive period in Canada.
Following their statement on Wednesday, Prince Harry had been due to fly back to Canada with Meghan on Thursday to be united with their eight-month-old son Archie, but decided to stay on in Britain while a deal about their future role is thrashed out.
Harry is set travel to Sandringham for a showdown with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William in what sources described as a ‘reality check moment’.
Royal aides and Government officials have drawn up a range of scenarios setting out the ‘stark implications’ faced by Harry and Meghan if they abandon or dramatically scale back their royal duties.
A friend has claimed that Prince William is desperately sad that the close relationship he once enjoyed with Prince Harry has soured. Pictured: Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Prince William in 2017
At tomorrow’s meeting, Prince Harry will be handed documents, compiled following discussions with HMRC and the Canadian tax authority, that will set out in detail the financial penalties for a range of scenarios.
These include a so-called hard Megxit involving a permanent move to North America and a soft Megxit in which the couple split their time between Britain and overseas and retain full, active Royal roles.
A friend has claimed that Prince William is desperately sad that the close relationship he once enjoyed with Prince Harry has soured.
The Duke of Cambridge has said he is unable to even ‘put an arm round’ his younger brother nowadays, after a rift saw them grow apart over the past year.
Harry and Meghan’s intention to quit as senior Royals has widened the gulf between the two siblings, with William understood to be ‘incandescent’ over his brother’s blindsiding of the Family.