Meghan Markle slammed for 'fleeing to Canada' and leaving Prince Harry to deal with Royal duties bombshell
10 January 2020, 08:57 | Updated: 10 January 2020, 09:10
The Duchess of Sussex has only just announced she and Prince Harry will be stepping down as senior royals.
Meghan Markle has flown back to Canada after she left baby Archie there earlier this week for her three-day visit to the UK, during which she and Prince Harry announced they would be leaving the Royal Family.
After the short stint back in Britain, Meghan, 38, left her husband, 35, in the country to undertake 'crisis talks' with the Queen, Prince Charles and his brother, Prince William.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan: The hurdles ahead for the royal couple
The former Suits actress is rejoining eight-month-old Archie in Vancouver, who stayed in Canada to prevent jet lag from flying so much in such little time, and it's expected that they will stay there for the foreseeable future, with Harry flying over to join soon.
He will stay in the UK until next week to host the Rugby World League World Cup 2021 draw next week.
A source said: “It was only a flying visit for Meghan. She wanted to get back ‘home’ to Archie.”
On Wednesday evening, the family announced their decision to step down, one that will undoubtedly go down in history.
In an Instagram statement, they wrote: "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"
Today, Her Majesty held a meeting of the four royal households as she dialled in from Sandringham, Charles from Scotland, William on the phone in London and Harry speaking from home in Windsor.
It's been reported that The Queen was left "deeply upset" by Prince Harry and Meghan's decision to step back and move to North America.
Reports state that no other members of the Royal Family were contacted or consulted about the statement before it was published, and are "hurt" by it.
Kate Middleton's 28th birthday yesterday was completely overshadowed by meetings relating to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's future, with a source revealing: "The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge have directed their teams to work together at pace with Governments and The Sussex Household to find workable solutions.
"They added: "[It's] expected to take days not weeks."
