Prince Harryis keeping his sense of humor amid the ongoing turmoil in the Royal Family.
At his first official outing since announcing that he and wifeMeghan Markleareexiting their roles senior royals, he managed a smile after he was abruptly asked how things were working out.
He didn’t answer, but sources at the palace event say he laughed at the attempt to get his opinion on what’s going on behind-the-scenes since he and Meghan announced they are stepping down as senior royals.
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“What happens between him and his good wife is nothing at all to do with me,” he added. “What’s great about this is that it does not matter what is going on in the background, wherever he goes he still delivers. He is very respectful, very warm, very endearing. This draw would not have been the same had he not committed to it. We are very grateful for his time.”
When asked if he hoped the prince would still stay involved in supporting the sport, he said: “I am not sure what the future holds, but one thing I am quite certain is that, if you look at whatPrince Harryhas done to date, he cares about people – physically, mentally. He has gone all over the world – inspiring, caring, looking after people. I don’t think that will change. What capacity he does that, going forward, will be up to it. When you’ve got that in you, it will go wherever he is.”
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Prince Harry.Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement last week announcing their intent to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
Though the particulars are still being worked out, Meghan and Harry want to focus on “their own causes with a little less constraint and still be supporting the institution and the monarch,” says a friend.
While Meghan returned to Canada to reunite with Archie, Prince Harry stayed in the U.K. this week to meet with grandmotherQueen Elizabeth, father Prince Charles and brotherPrince Williamto discuss next steps.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” the Queen, 93, said in a statement released after the90-minute meeting. “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
She continued, “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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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Remembrance Day ceremony in 2019.
Royal historian and biographer of the Queen Robert Lacey notes that the monarch’s statement was “incredibly personal.”
“I can’t recall a royal statement where one gets the sense so much of the Queen herself speaking,” he tells PEOPLE. “Using phrases like ‘my family and I’ is very moving. It clearly shows her wish to resolve everything.”
Inthis week’s cover story, a family friend tells PEOPLE that the couple felt they had no choice but to manage things the way they did, even as they went against the family’s “never complain, never explain” mantra.
“This is not how they wanted to handle this, but Meghan and Harry’s hand was forced,” says the friend. “There is so much bad blood in that family — it’s toxic.”
source: people.com
