It is now six years since Prince Harry sat down with senior royals for the crisis talks that would become known as the “Sandringham Summit”, a meeting that changed the monarchy forever, and one person was notably absent: Meghan Markle.
On January 13, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II called key members of the royal family together at Sandringham. The meeting was to thrash out the details of Harry and Meghan’s departure from frontline royal life. The meeting came just days after the Sussexes shocked the world by announcing their plan to step back from senior duties and seek financial independence.
Harry made the trip from Canada to Norfolk alone. Meghan did not attend, a decision the couple later addressed in their 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan.
Why Meghan Markle did not attend the Sandringham Summit
Prince Harry travelled back to the UK on his own after spending Christmas 2019 in Canada with Meghan, their son Archie and her mother, Doria Ragland.
At the time, reports suggested the meeting was intended to be a tightly controlled family discussion. Daily Mail royal commentator Richard Kay cited a palace insider who described it as a “highly confidential family discussion, not a conference call”. On that basis, the idea of Meghan joining remotely from Canada was reportedly dismissed amid concerns about who else might be listening.
Imagine a conversation, a roundtable discussion about the future of your life.
Shortly after the claims emerged, Meghan’s team pushed back. A Kensington Palace spokesman insisted she had not been excluded. They said: “In the end, the Sussexes decided that it wasn’t necessary for the duchess to join.”
The couple later revisited the moment in their six-part Netflix series. They offered their own perspective on how the meeting unfolded.
Meghan Markle on missing the royal talks
Reflecting on the Sandringham Summit, Meghan spoke candidly about how it felt to be absent from discussions that would shape her family’s future.
“Imagine a conversation, a roundtable discussion about the future of your life. When the stakes are this high,” she said.
“And you as the mum and the wife and the target, in many regards, aren’t invited to have a seat at the table.”
Harry echoed her view. He said: “It was clear to me that they planned out so that you weren’t in the room.”
The Duke of Sussex explained that he was presented with several possible paths forward. Option one was “all in”, option five was “all out”. He pushed for option three, described as “half in, half out”. Under that proposal, he and Meghan would pursue their own work while continuing to support Queen Elizabeth II.
Harry said that compromise was not entertained. “But it became very clear that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” he recalled. He also described the atmosphere as deeply distressing.
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that were simply not true. And, my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s statement after the Sandringham Summit
Following the meeting, Queen Elizabeth II released a carefully worded public statement. It set out the family’s position.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she said.
Read more: Royal ‘rule’ Prince Harry ‘broke’ with ‘snide’ Kate Middleton comments in memoir
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
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