Prince Harry’s suggestion that the “Queen was sidelined at the now infamous ‘Sandringham Summit’ is ‘utter nonsense,’ said a royal expert.
The Duke of Sussex claimed in his Netflix docuseries that the late monarch watched in silence as he was left terrified by Prince William, who yelled about the exit talks she called after Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step down from their royal duties to resign.
He said: “It was terrifying that my brother was yelling and yelling at me and my father was saying things that just weren’t true and my grandmother was, you know, sitting still and taking it all in.”
However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told Web that “the Queen knew exactly what she was doing and she was not being manipulated by anyone”.
Prince Harry’s suggestion that the Queen (pictured in June 2022) was “moved out of the way” at the now infamous “Sandringham Summit” is “utter nonsense,” said a royal expert
It comes after Harry also said that the “ultimate mission, goal/responsibility of the late monarch is the institution”.
He added: “People around her tell her, ‘By the way, this suggestion or these two doing X,Y,Z is considered an attack on the institution.’ Then she will follow the advice she has given. It was really hard.’
The Duke of Sussex said William and Charles refused to bless his and Meghan’s request for a “half-half exit” that would allow them to earn money while picking and choosing royal duties and retaining their titles.
He claimed his brother scared him in January 2020 when he “yelled and yelled” at him in front of their father and grandmother as he tried to negotiate a deal to leave the UK.
The Duke of Sussex claimed in his Netflix docuseries that the late monarch watched in silence as he was left terrified by Prince William, who yelled about the exit talks she called after Harry and Meghan decided to step down from royal duties
Harry also accused Charles of lying to his face and Her Majesty of not saying anything at the Sandringham talks.
The Duke of Sussex claimed: “I went in with the same proposal that we had already made public, but when I got there I was given five options – one was all in, no change, five were all out.
“I chose option three in the meeting – half in, half out. Have our own jobs but also work in support of the Queen. It became clear very quickly that the goal was not up for discussion or debate.’
Harry then claimed the palace did not seek his permission to issue a joint statement dismissing claims that William had “bullied” the Sussexes from the royal family.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it. No one had asked my permission to put my name under such a statement… [Meghan] burst into tears because they happily lied within four hours to protect my brother…yet they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.’
The Queen, Meghan, Prince Harry and Prince William stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the RAF Centenary flyby in July 2018
He also denied it was Meghan’s decision to walk away and move to LA. “In fact, it was my decision. She never asked to leave. I was the one who had to see it for myself. But it’s misogyny at its finest,” he said.
Reacting to Harry’s comments on the exit talks, Mr Fitzwilliam said: “I think the idea of the Queen being sidelined at Sandringham was probably utter nonsense.
“Harry has painted a picture that will not be questioned just because the royal family will not make a statement about it.
“Having that in mind, he can get away with the thought that William … apparently yelled and yelled at him, maybe he did, and according to him his father lied and the Queen just let it get to her.”
“He portrays the Queen as someone who is negative and in fact it’s offensive because the Queen becomes a puppet in the hands of the others there and of course her advisers.”
Palace courts yesterday dismissed suggestions made by Harry in the Netflix series that the Queen was influenced by her aides in deciding he was “out” as a working king
The expert continued: “The Queen was very smart to do what she did, but the implication Harry gives is that she was beside herself, so to speak.
In fact, when she said after Oprah, some ‘memories may vary,’ she was very, very involved. And indeed, that phrase has helped define it in the minds of those skeptical of its truth.
“I think it is absolutely clear from those who know the Queen that the Queen knew exactly what she was doing and that she was not being manipulated by anyone.”
Meanwhile, palace courtiers yesterday dismissed suggestions made by Harry on the Netflix series that the Queen was influenced by her aides in deciding he was “out” as a working king.
Sources close to the royal family claim the Duke of Sussex, who painted a picture of a passive queen in his documentary series, says he can’t understand why he couldn’t ‘sweet’ the late monarch.
One told the Times: “It’s outrageous. Harry never wanted to admit to himself that it was the Queen who said, “No, you’re out.”
“He couldn’t understand that he wasn’t the cheeky guy trying to talk Grandma into getting what he wanted.”
Another source told the publication the Duke of Sussex has “postponed” the narrative about his grandmother.
“It was always ‘my commander-in-chief, the boss,'” they said. “But when he didn’t get the support he wanted from her, she’s portrayed as a tiny character sitting in the corner.”
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