Prince William can't 'put his arm around' Prince Harry anymore after bombshell news - report

Prince William has reportedly told a friend he can't "put his arm around" his brother anymore.

The 37-year-old royal made the comment following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's recent announcement that they plan to step back as senior members of the royal family and split their time between the UK and North America.

He said, according to the Sunday Times newspaper: "I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that anymore; we're separate entities. I'm sad about that.

"All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we're all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team."

Meanwhile, Prince Harry has been summoned to meet Queen Elizabeth.

The flame-haired royal has reportedly been asked to attend a meeting with the monarch, his father Prince Charles and his brother Prince William at Sandringham today, with the possibility Duchess Meghan may join via conference call.

A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. https://t.co/1qtTEHiIq6
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 8, 2020

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "The family will gather on Monday at Sandringham to talk things through. Attendees will be Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex. Following a series of meetings and consultations across the last few days, there are a range of possibilities for the family to review which take into account the thinking the Sussexes outlined earlier in the week. Making a change to the working lives and the role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will require both complex and thoughtful discussions. Next steps will be agreed at the meeting and the request for this to be resolved at pace is still Her Majesty’s wish.

"The aim remains to have it resolved in days not weeks. There are a range of possibilities to review. There is genuine agreement and understanding that any decision will take time to be implemented. It is a family discussion and is also very complex. However, decisions will be taken in days not weeks and the news of the outcomes will be shared."

The meeting was called after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a shock statement to reveal they would step down as "senior" members of the royal family.

A separate source added: "The statement was rushed out and part of the reason for that is that Harry knew he needed to take swift action. Meghan has not settled in the UK and he knows that and wants her to be happy. And it has got worse recently, with their spell in Canada helping to cement her view that the family would be better off out of the spotlight and spending more time there. He feared staying in the UK too long would lead to Meghan having a meltdown. That is why things moved so quickly."

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

In fact, the Duchess of Sussex has flown back to Canada, leaving Harry to face his family alone.

The 38-year-old former actress and her husband Prince Harry arrived back in the UK last week following a six-week break in Vancouver but following their shock announcement that the couple plan to step back from royal life, it has now emerged Duchess Meghan only made a brief visit.

Meghan boarded a flight to return to Canada, where her and Harry's eight-month-old son, Archie, had stayed with a nanny, and sources told MailOnline she "hadn't planned" on staying in the UK for long.

And it has also been reported Harry is planning to return to Canada as soon as possible, though that may not be for at least another week as he has an official engagement scheduled in England on 16 January.

It has also been reported that the former Suits actress has reportedly signed a deal with Disney to do voiceover work in return for a donation to the charity Elephants Without Borders.

The Times has reported that Meghan recorded the voice-over before they left for their six-week break in Canada.

- Bang! Showbiz

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