Here's Why Queen Elizabeth's Annual Christmas Speech Excluded Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

By Jake Kanter

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world on Wednesday by announcing their plan to "step back" from royal protocol -- a decision that apparently hasn't been easy on the royal family.

Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan Markle, 38, seem more determined than ever to forage a new path — but simply “stepping away” royal life isn’t as easy at it seems. “You can’t sort of do deals with the Queen, even if she is your grandmother,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told HollywoodLife in an EXCLUSIVE new interview.

Prince William, 37, has finally spoken about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s decision to “step back” from royal life — and it seems like he has his little brother’s back no matter what. “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,” William reportedly told a friend, according to The Sunday Times.

Queen Elizabeth II has reportedly called a private meeting with Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry to discuss the recent royal drama that has unfolded in the press.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stunned the royal family when the couple announced on Wednesday they were stepping down as "senior members" and wanted to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

"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," Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently wrote in a joint statement via Instagram and in the process, shocking the world. The Royal Family, in particular, were reported to be left devastated by the news.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s friends believe their shocking exit from their royal duties came after they were “driven out” of the family, according to U.K. news outlet, ITV News.

United Kingdom's royal family is currently embroiled in a controversy like no other. Garnering attention from all over, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have set the Internet on fire.

To say that the times ahead for the Royal Family is going to be controversial would be an understatement! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a monumental decision to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and balance their time between the UK and North America. The reason for their balancing act between the two countries is owed to their eight-month-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed in their joint Instagram statement.

Fresh off of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's shocking announcement Wednesday that they would be stepping back from their “senior member” status within the royal family and would seek to become "financially independent," many are now wondering what’s next for the Sussexes and if they’ll follow the route of Barack and Michelle Obama -- turning Hollywood into their own creative playground.

Queen Elizabeth II, 93, has released a statement on January 9 outlining the Royal Family’s next steps after Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, announcement that they’re ‘stepping back’ from their duties and moving to North America.

Along with their bombshell announcement of stepping down as senior members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced on Wednesday a brand new media relations policy they will launch later this year.

Despite the threat of war between the U.S. and Iran and the lingering torture of Brexit, Britain woke up on Thursday trying to digest the bombshell news of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's shocking decision to "step back"from the royal family and split their time between the U.K.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the entire globe in a state of complete unrest when they took to their joint Instagram page and announced that they would be stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family and will now be balancing their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

 Harry and Meghan's announcement to step back as the senior members of the Royal Family and be financially independent came as a shocker to many. They also announced that they will balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America. And now, in an interview with Sky News, many Royal news commentators, biographers and correspondents have opened up on the same.

“Good Morning Britain” co-host Piers Morgan, a longtime critic of Meghan Markle, took a victory lap on Wednesday after Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex announced they will take “a step back” as senior members of the royal family.

Queen Elizabeth II and Buckingham palace have spoken. The monarch released a statement, by way of the palace on Jan. 8, sharing a rather different angle than the jovial news Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle had shared. The official Royal Communications statement sent out read, “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that we will take time to work through.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they will take “a step back” as senior members of the royal family and instead work independently, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.