
Prince Harry has arrived at Sandringham to finally face the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William for the first time since quitting as a senior royal with Meghan 'dialling in' to support her husband from Canada.

The Duke of Sussex wants his 93-year-old grandmother, father and brother to let him and his wife keep their royal titles while living abroad and grabbing 'financial independence' to earn their own money using the Sussex brand, which experts say could be worth £400million.

Harry drove into Sandringham via its rear entrance in a blacked-out Range Rover Evoque at 11.20am - just as he and his older brother released their first joint statement since the abdication crisis blasting claims William has been bullying the Sussexes.

William arrived from nearby Anmer Hall at 1.45pm - 15 minutes before the 2pm meeting started - suggesting he chose to miss lunch with his brother and the Queen, who has been there since Christmas, as well as Charles, who arrived by helicopter yesterday.

Her Majesty has been supported by Prince Philip throughout the abdication crisis and her husband of 72 years has acted as her sounding board for finding a solution. The Duke of Edinburgh ducked out of the palace before the mega-summit started, leaving his wife to broker the deal, but is said to be furious with his grandson and his Californian-born wife.

The Times claimed today that Meghan told Harry she must step away from the royal family just 20 months after marrying into it, partly blaming his older brother's 'bullying attitude' and told her husband over Christmas: 'It's not working for me'.

But hitting back Harry and William said today it was a 'false story', adding: 'For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful'.

Harry will be warned in Sandringham's Long Library there are formidable obstacles that will take months to overcome before he can stand down as a senior royal - but the Queen says the family must come up with a 'direction of travel' for the prince and Meghan, who is in Vancouver with Archie.

Her Majesty is said to want guarantees that the proposed Sussex business empire doesn't damage the royal family. William and Charles are expected to reject the couple's demands for taxpayer-funded police bodyguards while in the UK and are concerned about the environmental impact of criss-crossing the Atlantic to carry out royal duties in Britain and across the globe.

Charles is also said to be 'hurt' by Harry and Meghan's decision to quit because he has secretly given them millions to fund their lavish lifestyle and furnish their Windsor home in a show of 'love' for the couple since they married 20 months ago, according to the Evening Standard.

A Range Rover believed to be carrying Prince Harry entered Sandringham via an back entrance today as the royal summit over his and Meghan's future began this afternoon

A source told The Times that Harry and Meghan felt pushed out of the royal family by his older brother William, who will see his younger sibling face-to-face at Sandringham later (pictured together on July 10, 2018)

The Queen (pictured attending church at Sandringham on Sunday), who was left deeply hurt by her grandson's decision to release the statement without her knowledge, has summoned Princes Charles, William and Harry for a crisis meeting to resolve the Sussexes future

Prince Harry will today be warned there are formidable obstacles to overcome before he can stand down as a senior royal (Prince pictured with Meghan Markle at Canada House in London on Tuesday)

Kate looked serious as she left Kensington Palace this morning as her husband comes face to face with his want-away brother today. The Duchess was far more casually dressed as she left on the school run this afternoon

Home Secretary Priti Patel dismisses claims that Meghan Markle has faced racist press coverage and says people of any background can 'get on in life' in Britain The Home Secretary (pictured in London today) rejected suggestions that racism has driven negative media reports about the Duchess of Sussex saying she had not seen 'things of that nature' Priti Patel has rubbished claims that Meghan Markle has faced racist press coverage and insisted people of any background can 'get on in life' in Britain. The Home Secretary today rejected suggestions that racism has driven negative media reports about the Duchess of Sussex saying she had not seen 'things of that nature.' Ms Patel's comments come as senior royals race to thrash out plans for Prince Harry and Meghan's future following the couple's bombshell announcement that they plan to 'step back' as senior royals. The Cabinet minister has been drawn into the row as she will need to be involved in the decision on the future of their taxpayer funded security - said to be between £600,000 to £1million a year - if they take part in fewer royal events. In November 2016, Harry lashed out at the 'wave of abuse and harassment' the US actress had faced from the media – citing the 'racial undertones of comment pieces' among his concerns. Ms Patel, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said: 'I'm not in that category at all where I believe there's racism at all. 'I think we live in a great country, a great society, full of opportunity, where people of any background can get on in life.' Asked if the media had been in any way racist, she replied: 'I don't think so, no… I certainly haven't seen that through any debates or commentary or things of that nature.' Advertisement

As the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry meet for the first time since early November at the Queen's Norfolk estate, it emerged that:

Harry decided to pull the plug on his royal role 'without a thought' for his older brother and his family with William heartbroken about the broken bond with his only sibling, according to insiders;

But in show of unity the brothers issued statement denying claims in the The Times that William had 'bullied' the Sussexes;

Charles has been giving millions more than thought to the couple to support them since they married in 2018;

Sandringham summit began in the Long Library at 2pm UK time, which would be 6am in Vancouver, so Meghan can 'dial in' and support Harry from across the Atlantic;

Prince Philip has been supporting the Queen but stayed away from meeting this afternoon to spend time in the grounds of Sandringham;

Royals will try to get a deal for Harry this week - but will warn him that his exit will take months to plan;

Although the Sussexes will be settling in Canada, their ultimate goal is to have a home and business in LA – but only after Donald Trump is no longer President, sources have said.

Harry's close friend, broadcaster Tom Bradby, warned that the couple could do an explosive 'tell all' interview if they didn't get their way and it wouldn't 'be pretty'. Their friend Oprah rumoured to be lined up;

Royal aides believe the meeting started at 2pm so Meghan can 'dial in' at around 6am after fleeing across the Atlantic hours after the couple quit last Wednesday - but the Duchess of Cambridge will not be supporting her husband in Norfolk today and stayed at Kensington Palace to look after their three children.

A grim-faced Prince Philip was seen at Sandringham this morning but will leave it to his wife, Prince Charles and Prince William to broker an exit deal with the Sussexes.

The Queen has been leaning heavily on her husband for support - and Philip, who has lived in a cottage of the Sandringham estate since retiring from public life in 2017, has been staying in the main house with the Queen since the crisis broke.

Philip was reportedly 'spitting blood' with anger when he found out last Wednesday and yelled at his aides: 'What the hell are they playing at?'

Aides have been working around the clock to come up with a range of options for the couple since they issued their bombshell statement saying they planned to step back from frontline duties and divide their time between the UK and North America, while retaining their royal privileges and titles.

The Queen – who was left 'deeply hurt' by her grandson's decision to release the statement without her knowledge – made clear to courtiers she wanted the problem sorted 'within days' to prevent further damage to the monarchy.

The monarch is under more pressure to find a way forward because the Sussexes could give a tell-all interview to their friend Oprah Winfrey and 'sound off' about the royal family's 'racism and sexism' if they do not get their way at Sandringham, palace aides fear.

The couple are said to see their long-term future in the US – but not while President Donald Trump is President - with friends claiming while the couple plan to live in Canada at first their ultimate aim is to have a home and business in Los Angeles.

A grim-faced Prince Philip leaves Sandringham today with a female companion driving where his wife the Queen, who has been using him as a sounding board, will try to avert crisis and keep Prince Harry in the royal family

Senior royals are gravely disappointed by Harry's decision to pull the plug on his position 'without a thought' for William and his family, insiders revealed.

Charles is 'hurt' after giving millions of his OWN cash to Meghan and Harry Prince Charles has reportedly been paying Harry and Meghan more than William and Kate since they married to support them in married life Prince Charles is 'hurt' by Harry and Meghan's decision to quit as senior royals because he has secretly given them millions to fund their lavish lifestyle and furnish their Windsor home in a show of 'love' for the couple since they married 20 months ago, it was claimed today. Harry's father has reportedly tapped into private income from his £1.2billion Duchy of Cornwall estate to support the Sussexes because he was desperate to keep them happy in the UK and particularly to support Meghan after she moved to Britain from Toronto. A source told the Evening Standard: 'There is a great deal of hurt given that the Prince of Wales has gone out of his way to help his son who he loves dearly and embrace his daughter-in-law into the family'. Harry and Meghan already claimed £2.4million of taxpayers' money to carry out building works on the grace-and favour property given to them as a gift by the Queen. The insider said: 'The figures quoted on the Sussex website are wrong. It does not take into account security for one thing and much of the travel. Also talk of what the Prince of Wales only pays towards both his sons from the profits of the Duchy is simply not true. He has paid out considerable sums from his private investments and money too. These are not small sums. It should not be a surprise that he is upset by all this given the truth about how he has supported his son.' Another insider added: 'On top of that he paid out a small fortune for their wedding'. Advertisement

The 35-year-old is said to be so caught up in his own misery he hasn't considered the fall-out for the brother he was once inseparable from – and his little niece and nephews.

It was reported on Saturday that the Duke of Cambridge is grief-stricken at the broken bond with Harry. 'I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that any more; we're separate entities,' he told a friend according to the Sunday Times.

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

When it was put to Harry last week that he needed to discuss his plans with William at least before 'pressing the nuclear button', he made clear he hadn't any intention of doing so.

Neither had it occurred to him that there would also be ramifications for the young Cambridge children, George, six, Charlotte, four, and Louis, just one. The siblings have only seen their cousin Archie, eight months, once or twice since he was born.

'He is so caught up with his own problems and just hadn't thought through how it would affect everyone else,' said a source with intimate knowledge of the week's events.

Friends say the rift between the two is so deep now that it is unlikely to be repaired for the foreseeable future.

At today's summit staff have managed to achieve the unthinkable in preparing a series of proposals to put on the table, Harry will also be warned that the crisis is not over yet.

There have already been consultations between the UK and Canadian governments, but working out the detail is likely to take weeks or months rather than days.

Behind the scenes, consultations have highlighted a range of stumbling blocks, such as issues of residency, visas, tax and security that may take some time to iron out, depending on what path the couple want to go down.

Today's unprecedented summit will see the four most senior members of the Royal Family and their closest aides sit down together – with Meghan 'likely' to be 'dialling in' by phone from Canada, where she fled back to on Thursday.

She and Harry had left their son, Archie, eight months, at their rented home on Vancouver Island when they returned to Britain.

Harry is set to follow her later this week with no clue of when he will be returning. Following a series of meetings and consultations, the family will be given a range of possibilities to review which take into account the demands outlined by the Sussexes last week.

Bradby, who is believed by the royal household to be acting as Harry and Meghan's 'mouthpiece', told ITV last night that the Royal Family had to achieve a 'sensible' agreement and give 'them the freedom they want, the role that they want in the Royal Family, [and] make sure British taxpayers don't feel cheated.'

But aides have warned that making such a seismic change to their working life and role in the monarchy will take 'complex and thoughtful discussions'.

A royal source said: 'It is anticipated that at the end of the meeting a series of steps will be agreed, in line with Her Majesty's wish for this to be resolved within days not weeks.

Dressed in a camel-coloured coat and hat, the 93-year-old monarch was seen riding in the back of a chauffeur-driven vehicle, heading for morning service at the 16th century St Mary Magdalene Church, in Sandringham, Norfolk

Prince Charles has jetted back from Oman where he offered his condolences to the country's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (right) over the death of previous Sultan Qaboos bin Said who died age 79 on Friday

Palace fears of Harry and Meghan 'no holds barred' interview grow Oprah Winfrey Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could give a tell-all interview to their friend Oprah Winfrey if they do not get their way in showdown talks with the royal family at Sandringham, palace aides fear. Meghan's US PR team is thought to already be in contact with Oprah, as well as several American TV networks for a potential no-holds barred interview. Tom Bradby, the ITV journalist who spoke to the Sussexes in their bombshell documentary last year, has already warned that a 'no-holds barred' interview could be in the offing. As well as Oprah, Meghan's team is believed to have contacted the television networks ABC, NBC and CBS. Meghan's mother Doria has also been seen leaving Oprah's home. Now, a royal source said: 'Harry and Meghan's people have been reaching out to all the big US networks to explore the possibilities of a sit-down warts-and-all interview. 'Meghan feels she's been silenced and is no longer prepared to be muted. She and Harry feel the royals have been racist and sexist.' Advertisement

'That's certainly the aim. But there will need to be an understanding that any decision will take time to be implemented and is complicated by issues including the HMRC, security and the like.'

Charles arrived in Norfolk after a 24-hour visit to Oman – a key British ally.

'The prince is already the hardest working royal in the business. And the business of the Royal Family is having to go on while all this is happening,' said a source.

'He has a strong sense of duty and service. He is going into the meeting not just as a 'chief executive' but as a concerned father as well.'

Buckingham Palace has not put a time frame on today's discussions but is adamant that 'next steps' will be decided by the end of the day.

There have even been jokes that a stream of papal-style 'white smoke' may be seen coming from the Sandringham House chimney. 'It could take five minutes, it could take five hours,' one insider said. 'What we can be sure of is that there will be a 'direction of travel' by the end of the day.

What palace aides have done to get to the point of having this range of options to discuss is delivering on the Queen's request.

'The family can say, 'look we haven't dragged our feet, we've come up with something for you to decide'. But it's then up to them [the Sussexes].'

Friends have also told the Mail that although the pair plan to settle in Canada at first – although probably not on Vancouver Island – their ultimate aim is to have a home and business residence in the US, Meghan's home country.

But staunch Democrat Meghan, who has openly been critical of Mr Trump, has said she won't move back while he is in charge. 'It's by no means an immediate thing but there is a long-term plan to end up back in the US with a second home in Canada, where they will also spend a great deal of time,' the source said.

The secrets of Sandringham: The shooting party's been sent home early and The Long Library is prepared. Lunch is on offer — but the showdown must end in time for Her Majesty's tea. And will Philip be involved, asks RICHARD KAY

By Richard Kay for the Daily Mail

Of all the royal homes, Sandringham House is the least stuffy: less formal than Buckingham Palace, not so steeped in history as Windsor Castle and less baronial than Balmoral.

Certainly it offers an intimacy for today's critical meeting on Prince Harry's and Meghan's future as functioning members of the Royal Family.

Staff have been asked to prepare the Long Library, which used to house a bowling alley. And it will certainly be familiar to both Harry and Prince William. As children when the nursery was full at Christmas time, it was where they used to come for high tea with Princess Diana and their royal cousins.

It is next to the billiard room and is sufficiently away from other rooms to guarantee privacy. The windows look on to the gardens and the soothing outlook might be just what the Queen needs as she sits down with her grandsons, Prince Charles and their aides amid one of the deepest crises of her reign.

Not since the dark days over Diana has there been such a sense of dread and unhappiness shrouding the Royal Family.

Of all the royal homes, Sandringham House is the least stuffy, and certainly it offers an intimacy for today's critical meeting on Prince Harry's and Meghan's future as functioning members of the Royal Family.

Canada 'offers to pick up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's £500,000 security bill while the couple are in the country' Canada will contribute to the security bill for protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their decision to step down as senior royals, it was claimed today. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has agreed taxpayers in his country should pay for Prince Harry , Meghan and their son Archie's protection while they are there. The Duchess of Sussex, then Meghan Markle, speaks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the One Young World summit in Ottowa in September 2016 Mr Trudeau has assured the Queen that the family will be safe while in his country, with Canada expected to pay around half of the estimated £1million annual bill. But there are concerns that the large cost could lead to a backlash in Canada and damage the status of the monarchy there, reported the London Evening Standard . Harry and Meghan are entitled to 24/7 taxpayer-funded protection at home and abroad as members of the Royal Family, whether on official duties or on holiday. The couple believe this should continue, even though their security bill is close to £1million a year and this could rise further if arrangements become more complex. But Scotland Yard have privately insinuated that they are not in the position to write an open-ended cheque for round-the-clock security if the couple are living abroad. It is understood they have launched a review into the issue - and, while the police will not turn their backs on Harry and Meghan, a compromise is needed. Buckingham Palace, the Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and the Home Office have already discussed the future of the couple's security. The £1million-a-year cost of the couple's security has been brought down only because they have chosen to live in Windsor, which is already heavily guarded. However the couple will need constant protection, having been subjected to threats from far-Right organisations and because of Harry's military service in Afghanistan. Advertisement

In 1992 it was the anguish over the Princess of Wales's marriage and the convulsions over her collaborating with the writer Andrew Morton. Then the family and their advisers agonised over what course of action to take when, despite endless meetings and frantic discussions, no solution could be found other than a cooling-off period for the couple which failed to work.

Five years later and the royals' inadequate response to Diana's death in Paris triggered another crisis.

For almost a week in that late summer of 1997 at Balmoral Castle there were family schisms, rows and stubborn silences. If not quite the 11th hour, it was perilously close by the time it was agreed that the Queen would broadcast to the nation and that a flag would fly at half-mast over Buckingham Palace.

And it is that experience and the paralysis which gripped the institution on both occasions that has ensured the speed with which the showdown over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been planned.

Above all the Queen is determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

So the ruthlessness of the stripping of Diana's Her Royal Highness title, the repercussions of which linger to this day, is unlikely to be repeated with the Princess's son and his wife.

Unlike Diana, who only gained her HRH through marriage — which meant removing it on her divorce from Charles was logical if unnecessarily harsh for the mother of a future king — Harry was born with his title. And Meghan received hers as Duchess of Sussex on their marriage.

January at Sandringham is one of the Queen's favourite times of the year. After the comings and goings of Christmas and children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren depart, the Norfolk estate settles into a routine that has barely changed since the Queen came to the throne nearly seven decades ago.

Although she likes to rise at 7.30 each morning, she doesn't take breakfast until 9am and there is always a more relaxed air around the house. At 93 she tends to remain in her private rooms on the first floor a little longer these days, typically till about 10.30am.

The month is dominated by shooting parties with guests arriving on a Thursday evening and staying till Monday morning.

This weekend it was the turn of her grandson Peter Phillips to welcome his friends and he was very much the dutiful figure alongside the Queen when she attended the service at Sandringham's parish church, St Mary Magdalene, yesterday.

But because of this week's summit his party broke up early with guests leaving Sandringham after Sunday lunch.

The days are just beginning to lengthen and the Queen enjoys spotting the first signs of spring in the countryside around her.

Unless it is very windy or cold she likes to take Vulcan and Candy, her two dorgis — a cross between the corgi and dachshund breed — for a daily walk. There is unlikely to be time for that walk today.

Lunch will be offered beforehand in the dining room and an afternoon meeting would allow three hours until 5pm, when the Queen expects to take tea. Bookending the summit between meals is also being seen as a way of keeping the temperature down

The big showdown: Sandringham House and the two main rooms where the Royal Family will meet. He may not take part, but the views of Prince Philip, above, will certainly be made plain

According to insiders there is considerable anxiety ahead of today's meeting.

Despite this still being the holiday season for the Queen, the winter court means there is a full complement of domestic and official staff, around 35 in all at the 'big house'. These include up 15 footmen, pantry staff and ten housemaids, as well as chefs and chauffeurs.

The Queen also has three dressers — including the reassuring presence of her senior dresser Angela Kelly — and her page Barry Mitford in attendance.

Meghan Markle's REAL dream is to move to Los Angeles... but only after Donald Trump's presidency ends The Duchess of Sussex described Trump (pictured on January 9) as 'misogynistic' during his presidential campaign Harry and Meghan may settle in the US eventually – but not while President Donald Trump is in charge. Friends have told the Daily Mail that while the couple plan to live in Canada at first – although probably not on Vancouver Island – their ultimate aim is to have a home and business in Los Angeles. Meghan grew up in the city and her mother, Doria Ragland, still lives there. Miss Ragland, 63, was seen walking her two dogs near her home last week after the royal couple's bombshell news. However, staunch Democrat Meghan, who has openly been critical of Mr Trump and missed the President's state visit to the UK last year, has said that she will not move to the US while he is in charge. 'It's by no means an immediate thing but there is a long-term plan to end up back in the US with a second home in Canada, where they will also spent a great deal of time,' the source said. 'The couple used the words North America in their statement about where they planned to live deliberately. It doesn't pin them down to any one place.' An aide stressed that negotiations over the couple's future were only taking place with the UK and Canadian governments but said nothing could be ruled out. In 2016, before she met Harry, Meghan called Mr Trump 'divisive' and 'misogynistic'. She pledged to vote for his presidential rival Hillary Clinton and threatened to move to Canada if he won. Advertisement

Prince Philip, who is expected to have a significant role as the Queen's sounding board, has his valet Stephen Niedojadlo.

Two other key figures are also present: the Queen's private secretary Sir Edward Young and her senior lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey, widow of former BBC chairman Duke Hussey.

Lady Susan is likely to be the pivotal figure. Not only is she a trusted friend of the Queen and a confidante of Prince Charles — she is always a guest at his birthday parties — Lady Susan is also a godmother of Prince William.

'Although it is unlikely she will sit in on the discussions, she will be close at hand and will very much support the Queen and Prince Charles whatever they decide,' says a source.

For Sir Edward, 53, a former banker and Tory party adviser, the outcome of the meeting could determine his own future.

Some courtiers and even other members of the Royal Family —believed to include Princess Anne and Prince Edward — have been critical of his role in failing to prevent the sorry affair turning into a massive royal crisis.

This follows criticism he received for his perceived shortcomings over the scandal that has engulfed Prince Andrew.

His job will also be to brief Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill because of the implications for the UK Government if Harry and Meghan are permitted to move to Canada and the questions about their status and security that will follow.

Also around the large polished table, with its eight chairs, which dominates one end of the Long Library are expected to be Prince Charles's canny private secretary Clive Alderton and William's top aide and former civil servant Simon Case.

Prince Harry's private secretary, ex-diplomat Fiona Mcilwham, is expected to complete the group.

Yesterday, it was claimed that the Duchess of Sussex would also be participating in the discussions via telephone link from Canada, where she has been reunited with baby Archie. However, insiders say it is unlikely that there will be an open line from Sandringham to Vancouver.

'While the Queen has no objection in principle to Skype or conference calls, for clarity's sake it is more likely that Harry will break off from the negotiations to call the Duchess,' says an aide.

For the Queen, the trick will be calming any royal hotheads. While she herself is often inscrutable, even in private, other family members find it harder to hide their emotions — particularly the Prince of Wales.

It is one of the reasons why the Queen instructed that the meeting should be held at Sandringham. 'It sends out a strong message,' says one of her former officials.

'First it says she is not budging, Norfolk is where she is in January therefore you come to her.

'Secondly, it is a private home not an official one, like Buckingham Palace, and she hopes that Harry will get the distinction.' For the duration of the meeting, normal life at Sandringham will come to a halt. Housemaids will be ordered to clean on the other side of the house and footmen will be confined to the pages' vestibule.

The Royals will be joined by their principal private secretaries at the Sandringham summit tomorrow. From left to right: Sir Edward Young (Queen), Fiona Mcilwham (Harry) and Clive Alderton (Charles)

The exact time of the meeting is not clear but privately staff believe it will begin at 2pm.

Lunch will be offered beforehand in the dining room and an afternoon meeting would allow three hours until 5pm, when the Queen expects to take tea. Bookending the summit between meals is also being seen as a way of keeping the temperature down.

For Charles, who was so impressed when he met Meghan Markle for the first time, his sense of disappointment at the turn of events is said to be profound. He was baffled by the couple's decision to move to Windsor and where, unsurprisingly, Meghan was 'bored' living directly beneath the Heathrow flightpath. It has tested the father-son relationship.

For the dozens of dedicated and loyal staff who work for the Queen there is a sense of great shock at Harry and Meghan, whom they see as 'ungrateful and selfish'.

According to insiders they first had a hint something was up when it was suggested that the Royal Household might help with building the couple's new Sussex Royal website.

On learning that it would be promoting their commercial ambitions, the household officials quietly withdrew the offer. Harry and Meghan's bombshell that they plan to 'step back' from royal life hasn't quite ruined the new year season, but it's been close.

The Queen's senior lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey (left) and Angela Kelly, the personnel dresser and confidante to Her Majesty (right), will also be at the summit

Five days of revelation and confrontation has brought little good cheer. It has triggered not just royal exasperation but provoked public anger, too.

Weekend opinion polls exposed both a generational divide over attitudes towards the monarchy in dealing with the crisis, and also fury at the idea that quitting as royals and moving to North America should not mean at least some loss of privileges for Harry and Meghan.

As final preparations for the meeting were being made last night, one question remained. Will Harry take the chance today to seek out the one figure beside the Queen he most respects: his grandfather Prince Philip?

While the Duke of Edinburgh will not attend the meeting, his presence is bound to be felt.

Ever since his discharge from hospital just before Christmas, Philip has occupied his own suite of rooms at Sandringham House, taking his meals alone and rarely venturing out. Family members do go in to see him and the Queen is certain to keep him informed.

hile it may be too late to keep Harry to his royal obligations, Philip, with a lifetime of public service behind him, may at least leave him with something to think about.

Harry pulled plug on royal role 'without any thought for William' and has left his brother 'sad and worried'

By Rebecca English for the Daily Mail

Prince Harry decided to pull the plug on his royal role 'without a thought' for William and his family, according to insiders.

They say Harry, 35, is so caught up in his own misery he hasn't considered the fall-out for the brother he was once inseparable from – and his little niece and nephews.

It was reported yesterday that the Duke of Cambridge had spoken of his sadness at the broken bond with Harry. 'I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that any more; we're separate entities,' he told a friend according to the Sunday Times.

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

When it was put to Harry last week that he needed to discuss his plans with William at least before 'pressing the nuclear button', he made clear he hadn't any intention of doing so. Neither had it occurred to him that there would also be ramifications for the young Cambridge children, George, six, Charlotte, four, and Louis, just one. The siblings have only seen their cousin Archie, eight months, once or twice since he was born.

Prince William accompanies his brother on his wedding day in May 2018 (left). It was reported yesterday that the Duke of Cambridge had spoken of his sadness at the broken bond with Harry (right)

'He is so caught up with his own problems and just hadn't thought through how it would affect everyone else,' said a source with intimate knowledge of the week's events. Friends say the rift between the two is so deep now that it is unlikely to be repaired for the foreseeable future.

While sources close to William say he 'does not recognise' the quote in the Sunday Times, it is widely acknowledged it is 'fairly close' to what he is thinking. 'Sadness, I'd say is the overwhelming emotion,' said one source. 'This is his brother, for God's sake. He loves him. And he is desperately sad – and worried – that it has come to this. There's an acknowledgement that things are very estranged at the moment. But maybe time and a little distance will heal that.'

While understandably concerned for his brother, William is also said to be worried about the increased workload the 'abdication' will bring for other family members.

Although now seventh in line to the throne, Harry and Meghan would still have undertaken more than 200 public engagements each year.

Privately, William and Harry have always felt the public perception of them as Diana's 'boys' wedded together for the rest of their lives by tragedy was an anachronism. Pictured together at Thorpe Park in 1993

And even in the slimmed-down monarchy their father is hoping for, the Sussexes would have had a significant role. Privately, William and Harry have always felt the public perception of them as Diana's 'boys' wedded together for the rest of their lives by tragedy was an anachronism. They have always had each other's back, but have always had different ways of handling things – and different paths.

One source said the rot began after Harry left the military in 2015 and began to feel frustrated at his rather rootless existence compared to William's clearly defined career path.

It was Kate who brought the brothers together, particularly as they collaborated on their mental health campaign, Heads Together. But others say it was just a plaster on a long-festering wound that was ripped off when Meghan came on the scene and Harry had his own family to defend.

The Mail understands while William feels both he and his brother have been deeply affected by Diana's death, Harry seems unable to move on with his life.

Titles, taxes and Frogmore Cottage: The issues that will be on the agenda when the Royal family meets for Sandringham summit to discuss Harry and Meghan's future

By Rebecca English for the Daily Mail

The Royal Family will today gather at Sandringham to thrash out a way forward for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Here are the key issues facing them.

THE HRH QUESTION

Harry and Meghan wish to continue to undertake duties on behalf of the Queen and for that they will need titles.

They could voluntarily relinquish their HRHs and retain their courtesy titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, given by the Queen. However the couple's new brand – Sussex Royal – is built around the kudos of being a royal highness.

Losing this would it signal this is an abdication in all but name and it would mean the couple being lower down the pecking order than Prince Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

But members of the Royal Family do not see any benefit in them losing their titles either. They are acutely aware of the disastrous consequences when Harry's mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, lost her HRH status as the public believed she had been vengefully stripped of her status.

THE SUSSEX MARTYRS?

'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex deeply believe in the role of The Monarchy, and their commitment to Her Majesty The Queen is unwavering,' the couple say on their new website.

If their hope of being able to continue to support the Queen is not accepted by the rest of the family, it will give the Sussexes the martyrdom they crave and make the monarchy look old-fashioned.

But the family's biggest fear is that a 'one foot in, one foot out' approach to being a member of the Royal Family is unworkable.

The 93-year-old Queen was pictured with a brown and red device lodged in her right ear as she was whisked to a church service on her Sandringham estate today

Will the couple take deals to promote products or bring out autobiographies or start producing their own films and documentaries?

One option is that Harry and Meghan keep their personal patronages but also attend big set-piece family events such as Trooping The Colour.

All other royal duties would be dramatically scaled back although a moot point is the Commonwealth as the Queen made them president and vice-president of her Commonwealth Trust. Can this be reconciled now?

THIS COULD BE COSTLY

Harry will be handed documents compiled after discussions with tax authorities in the UK and Canada. They include the warning he could face a 'double tax' on commerical income and bills running into the millions from multiple authorities.

Canada requires residents and some property owners to pay income tax on global earnings. Similar rules apply in the UK.

This means Harry may have to give up his UK residency or limit his time in Canada if he does not want to pay taxes in both places.

WILL CHARLES PAY?

Harry and Meghan have made great virtue of relinquishing their funding via the Sovereign Grant, basically taxpayers' money.

They claim this is just five per cent of their funding and has been spent specifically on official office expenses. But they also get public money for travel for official engagements here and abroad. If they are travelling further afield, this could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.

Their website states for the first time that 95 per cent of their annual funding comes from the Duchy of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales's private estate. The bill is estimated to be around £2.3million but will Charles want to continue to foot this?

THE FERGIE FACTOR

The couple claim there is 'precedent' for holding a title and earning an income. But this is currently only Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

None received any official funding and are only asked to accompany the Queen on a handful of engagements each year.

Harry and Meghan are high-profile figures who currently undertake 200-plus engagements a year between them.

Other royals who have tried this route include the Duchess of York, who has made a string of disastrous business deals.

CASHING IN

What does the couple's stated aim to 'work to become financially independent' mean?

Will they take deals to promote products or bring out autobiographies or start producing their own films and documentaries?

'It sends shudders down the spine and raises fundamental questions about the monitarisation of the monarchy,' said one source. He added the Queen has been clear that 'members of the Royal Family do not benefit as a result of their position. The new so-called progressive model seems to fly in the face of that'.

HOME COMFORTS

Harry and Meghan wish to keep Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate, which was refurbished with £2.4million from taxpayers.

The Queen still owns the property but gave it to the Sussexes to live in for as long as they wanted. It is relatively modest by royal standards and the couple have always had their eye on a country bolt-hole too.

Surveys have made clear the public will not stomach them still owning Frogmore while spending most of their time abroad.

STAYING SAFE

As royals, the couple are entitled to 24/7 taxpayer-funded protection at home and abroad, and whether on official duties or on holiday. They have made it clear they believe this should continue.

The couple's security bill is close to £1million a year. The Met Police has indicated it cannot write an open-ended cheque if they live abroad. The police will not turn their backs on Harry and Meghan but a compromise is needed.