Prince William 'grieving' and 'completely broken' by prince Harry and Meghan markle move

Prince William 'grieving' and 'completely broken' by prince Harry and Meghan markle move

A new documentary about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving the Royal Family gives insight into the high-stakes meeting that would come to determine a total split of the couple

Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, arrive to view floral tributes to Queen Elizabeth II laid outside Cambridge Gate at Windsor Castle

Princes William and Harry are rarely spotted together

When Prince Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back from royal duties, it shocked the nation. The couple issued a startling statement expressing their desire to relinquish their roles as full-time royals in January 2020.

Initially, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had wished to continue serving the monarchy on a part-time basis, forgoing the public funds they received as full-time working royals and gaining the freedom to earn independently.

A swift response led to an emergency meeting, called by the late Queen Elizabeth, now referred to as the 'Sandringham Summit'. This gathering brought together King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, the late Queen, and her private secretary to deliberate over the future of the Sussexes within the Royal Family.

Channel 5's new documentary, Megxit: Inside The Sandringham Summit, delves into the details of what happened in the private discussions at this pivotal summit, with experts and commentators offering fresh perspectives on the negotiations that ultimately led to the couple's complete separation from the institution of the monarchy.

According to one royal commentator featured in the documentary, the conclusion of the talks left Prince William feeling "completely broken" and heartbroken over the departure of his brother, reports

Prince William and Prince Harry join the Procession following the State Hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II

The princes reportedly spoke privately after the summit

Royal commentator Charlotte Griffiths shared her insights, saying: "William must have felt such a sense of relief, but also great sadness because he was really, officially losing his brother."

She added: "What I heard at the time was that William started grieving for his brother at that point, really grieving, like he'd lost, not only his mother, years ago, but his brother as well and I think he was just genuinely quite sad, and completely broken."

Meghan's absence from the Sandringham Summit was noted, as she stayed in Canada and was unable to participate remotely, leaving Harry to confront his family alone.

Ultimately, Harry was stripped of his police security, a protection he has since expressed in his memoir Spare that he desperately wished to retain and has unsuccessfully sought to have reinstated during UK visits.

Following the decisive meeting, which resulted in a "nuclear" severance of royal ties, Harry and William reportedly took time away in the Sandringham gardens to talk privately, as detailed by experts in a documentary.

Jack Royston, Newsweek's Royal correspondent, added: "Harry got the chance to do what he wanted to do, which was explain himself to his brother," revealing a moment of candid conversation between the siblings.

"William didn't argue back, he listened," the expert explained, commenting on the conduct of Prince William, "I think it was important for Harry to feel like he had a chance to say his piece, and it was important for William to come away from it feeling like he didn't turn it into a big argument or shut it down."

The frosty relationship between Princes William and Harry is widely recognised, with the siblings having become somewhat estranged in recent years.

While Prince William may have experienced sorrow seeing his brother step back from duties within the Firm in 2020, the tensions were exacerbated following Meghan and Harry's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. During this interview, they elaborated on their decision to leave the UK, exacerbating the rift.

Harry and Meghan's documentary series on Netflix includes a poignant scene where Harry is seen receiving a text from his brother post-interview. Although the contents of the message were not revealed, Harry appeared close to tears upon reading it.

The Sussexes have been open about airing their issues with the Royal Family, with Harry speaking to the BBC after an unsuccessful appeal over his police protection. He disclosed that his father King Charles "won't speak" to him and confided he "doesn't know how long" the m