May God save the queen, but can she save the royal family from Megxit?
- Royals will gather Monday to find swift solution to family rift that involves Prince Harry and wife Meghan
- Scandal triggers renewed debate about future of royals as UK faces threat of breaking up
If 2019 was bumpy, 2020 may be rockier for the British royal family.
Queen Elizabeth on Monday will try to find a quick resolution a family crisis triggered by Prince Harry and Meghan’s shock announcement last week of their wish to step down from some royal duties, be financially independent and divide their time between Britain and North America.
According to British media, the queen has called a family meeting at Sandringham estate where she will be joined by Harry, his father Charles and brother Prince William, the heir to the throne with whom Harry reportedly has strained relations.
Some royal watchers and British tabloids criticised Harry and Meghan’s announcement, which apparently took Buckingham Palace by surprise.
It followed another recent royal scandal: that of the queen’s second son Prince Andrew and his ties with the late wealthy paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Anti-monarchists have seized on both moments to question whether the monarchy needs to exist at all, while others see it in need of urgent reform.