THE Queen ‘banished staff’ during the tense Sandringham summit to protect privacy, royal experts have claimed.
Prince Harry headed to the royal residence on January 13 last year, for the show down with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William to discuss Megxit.
Channel 5's Royal documentary 'Secrets of the Royal Palaces' claims the monarch took the extraordinary step of telling her staff to keep away from the Long Library, The Express reported.
Narrator Glynis Barber said: "The Queen wanted absolute privacy and chose the secluded Long Library, the location of her first televised Christmas address.
Only a handful of key lieutenants were allowed inside the room. Household staff, though, were banished."
Emily Andrews, the Royal Editor for The Mail on Sunday, explained: "The Queen instructed all of her staff to keep to the other side of the house.
"They wanted to keep it as private as possible, they didn't want anything being leaked to the press."
Follow our Meghan and Harry live blog below for the very latest news on the couple and the Royal Family
- Martha Cliff
MEGHAN MAY GIVE WRITING A GO
An insider has claimed Meghan Markle wants to follow in Prince Charles and Sarah Ferguson's footsteps and give fiction writing a go.
An insider said: "Fiction is something she has always wanted to try her hand at, and she could be assured that anything she writes would sell well, regardless of its quality.
"Fiction, be it children's books or adult, would be a powerful way of conveying the messages of their woke brand."
- Rebecca Flood
SEX PISTOLS FRONTMAN SAYS PRINCE HARRY SHOULD REPAY TAXPAYERS' MONEY
God Save the Queen punk Johnny Rotten is spitting mad about Prince Harry — and says he should return the money he has cost the taxpayer.
The Sex Pistols icon insists Harry, 36, was selfish to ditch the Royal Family and move to LA with wife Meghan, 39.
Rotten, 65, real name John Lydon, said: “That Prince Harry, he’s making no effort to try and improve the situation — he’s just thinking of himself here.
“Well, hello. Give the money back.
“It’s a terrible thing to say because of course he can’t, he never asked for it in the first place but he’s making people resent him when he should have chosen a better route.”
- Rebecca Flood
PRINCE HARRY TOLD HE CAN'T BE 'HALF IN HALF OUT' IF HE'S TO KEEP MILITARY TITLES
Prince Harry "can't be half in, half out" of the Royal fold if he wants to retains his military titles, insiders have said.
It comes after reports that the Duke of Sussex will fight to retain the military roles he gave up as part of the Megxit deal pending a one-year review in March.
The Duke of Sussex, who was an officer for ten years in the Army, had his honorary military titles stripped when he quit the royal family with Meghan Markle last January.
But senior royal aides told the Daily Mail that it would be impossible for the Royal to have a “half in, half out” role.
An insider said: “The view is very clear – either you are in or you are out, and any form of 'hybrid' role is incompatible with representing the head of state.”
- Rebecca Flood
QUEEN 'BANISHED STAFF' DURING MEGXIT SHOWDOWN PROTECT PRIVACY
The Queen is said to have 'banished staff' during the infamous Sandringham summit on January 13 with Prince Harry, a royal expert has claimed.
Narrator Glynis Barber said: "The Queen wanted absolute privacy and chose the secluded Long Library, the location of her first televised Christmas address.
"Only a handful of key lieutenants were allowed inside the room," The Express reported.
Ms Andrews, the Royal Editor for The Mail on Sunday, explained: "The Queen instructed all of her staff to keep to the other side of the house.
"They wanted to keep it as private as possible, they didn't want anything being leaked to the press."
- Rebecca Flood
PRINCE HARRY WINS DAMAGES OVER CLAIMS HE SNUBBED THE MARINES
Prince Harry won "substantial damages" from a newspaper publisher over "baseless" claims he snubbed the Marines after Megxit – and donated the money to the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex, 36, sued Associated Newspapers Ltd over two "almost identical" articles claiming he had "not been in touch since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March".
Harry today won his legal action after being left "personally affronted" by the articles on the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline in October.
The High Court heard he accepted an apology and damages, which he will donate to the Invictus Games Foundation he set up in 2014.
A statement on his behalf released after the short hearing this morning said: "Today, the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline publicly admitted in open court that they pushed a completely false and defamatory story."
- Rebecca Flood
THE QUEEN IS HIRING SOMEONE TO RUN HER INSTAGRAM FEED
In other royal news, The Queen is hiring someone to run her Instagram account – and the best part is, you'll get paid £27,000 to post her pictures.
The advert for the Senior Employee Communications Assistant has been shared on the Royal Household's website.
The lucky candidate will run Buckingham Palace's social media channels and have a "creative flair" and "eye for design".
On top of this, they will also be in charge of the royal staff's intranet and keeping their 1,200 employees up to date on what's going on at Buckingham Palace.
- Rebecca Flood
THESE ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE WEDDING DRESSES – INCLUDING MEGHAN MARKLE'S
Meghan's marriage to Prince Harry took place in Windsor on May 19, 2018 and there was a lot of speculation about her wedding dress beforehand.
Meghan stunned onlookers as she arrived at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in a stunning bespoke gown by Givenchy, created by British designer Clare Waight Keller, which is estimated to cost around £110,000.
Meghan and Clare worked closely together on the design, which featured a graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully framed the shoulders and emphasised Meghan’s slender waist.
It had a 16ft train and veil which was adorned with the flowers of the 53 commonwealth countries, and it took an incredible 3,900 hours over the course of four months to create.
- Rebecca Flood
MEGHAN'S STAFF REMOVED HER NAME FROM ARCHIE'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE – NOT THE PALACE
Meghan's name was removed from Archie's birth certificate by members of her own royal staff – NOT Buckingham Palace.
Aides at Team Sussex rewrote the document and replaced 'Rachel Meghan' with 'Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex'.
The couple’s Californian PR team in statement on Sunday said changes to Archie's birth certificate were "dictated by the Palace.”
But Royal insiders say Buckingham Palace was not involved and that it was Kensington Palace officials.
A royal source said: "The birth certificate was changed by the former office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex they had when they were working members of the royal family.
"It was changed to ensure consistency of the name and title of the Duchess with other private documents."
- Rebecca Flood
PIERS MORGAN SAYS THE QUEEN MUST TELL PRINCE HARRY HE WON'T GET HIS MILIARY TITLES BACK
The Queen should permanently strip Prince Harry of his military titles because he cannot be an "absentee armchair general", Piers Morgan says.
When Harry and wife Meghan Markle dramatically quit their royal duties last January, the Duke was forced to give up his various roles in Her Majesty's armed forces for one year.
Piers Morgan claims Harry can't "physically commit" to his duties due to his work commitments in Hollywood.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Piers said: "What is being questioned is his ability to physically commit, in the UK, to the three military organisations he wants to represent."
He adds: "The answer, surely, is nowhere near enough?"
- Rebecca Flood
MEGHAN 'NOT WORRIED' ABOUT HER SISTER'S BOOK AND PLANS TO WRITE HER OWN, SAYS PAL
Meghan Markle is "not worried" about her half-sister Samantha's book release – and is writing her own, a friend has said.
Samantha Markle's "tell-all" autobiography is expected to be critical of Meghan's alleged treatment of her dad and the royal family.
But despite claims she has been worked-up about the content of the book, a close friend to the Duchess said the book has barely even registered on Meghan's radar.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, they said: "Meghan has not seen Samantha for years so the idea that she is worried about the book is nonsense.
"Meghan barely knows Samantha, they haven’t seen each other for nearly 20 years.”
- Rebecca Flood
THROWBACK POST ON THE SUSSEX ROYAL INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
On this day last year the Sussex Royal Instagram account shared a post about the couple's trip New Zealand.
It said: “To all of our Kiwi followers, sending our very best to each of you on Waitangi Day!
“As a commonwealth country and a realm, today we honour the spirit and diversity of New Zealand, and we feel particularly reminded of the special time we had there during our tour in 2018.
“The Duke and Duchess send their best wishes to all the people of New Zealand.”
- Claudia Aoraha
A 'HYBRID' ROYAL ROLE IS 'INCOMPATIBLE' SAYS SOURCE
An insider said: “The view is very clear – either you are in or you are out, and any form of 'hybrid' role is incompatible with representing the head of state.”
The Duke of Sussex, who was an officer for ten years in the Army, had his honorary military titles stripped when he quit the royal family with Meghan last January.
Harry is reportedly determined to hold onto his treasured military roles of Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command pending a one-year Megxit review.
He is currently not allowed to take any particular role using the titles, but they have not yet been handed to other members of the family.
No official choice has been made as to who will replace Harry if he is forced to drop them, although Princess Anne and Prince William are thought to be considered.
- Claudia Aoraha
SAMANTHA MARKLE'S CHAPTER NAME
The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister: A Memoir, Part One, published by Barnes and Noble, contains a chapter called Queen Would be Appalled – a bold name-check which could put officials on alert.
It refers to an explosive former interview in which Samantha said the Queen "would be appalled" by the drama in the Markle family.
Samantha is already writing a second book called “In the Shadows of the Duchess”.
- Claudia Aoraha
MEGS AND HARRY 'WILL TOUR THEIR PODCAST'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being tapped up with offers from live agents about touring their new podcast.
It would see the pair, who signed a £30million deal with Spotify, recording live sessions with an intimate audience.
Insiders said the pair were now being lined up for the possibility of ticketed events – which would be charged at a premium.
An insider said: “Live agents have been eyeing up Meghan and Harry’s new deal with great interest.
“They have been inundated with offers about the possibility of touring the podcast when the time is right.
- Claudia Aoraha
BOOK WILL MAKE THE DUCHESS 'UNCOMFORTABLE'
Meghan Markle's sister Samantha has said her bombshell memoir will make the Duchess "uncomfortable" but that the Royal Family will "like it."
The Royal Family will not "be unhappy" with the 330-page book, she said.
Samantha, 56, said: "There is something in it for everyone. It has been an interesting journey."
- Claudia Aoraha
HARRY & MEGHAN AND KATE & WILLS' REUNION WILL BE 'AWKWARD'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still barely speaking to Prince William and Kate Middleton and face a "very awkward" encounter when the 'Frosty Four' reunite, royal sources claim.
The Royal Family has a packed diary of big events in the coming year that the Sussexes would look rude to miss – not least the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana that Wills and Harry commissioned together.
“I think it’s going to be very awkward if they do meet up,” Phil Dampier, author of Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words, told The Sun Online.
“From what I am told the rift is not a lot better at the moment – they are not talking a lot.
“I think they will put on a united front for the unveiling of Diana’s statue and I’m sure they will put on a united front for the birthday celebrations but behind the scenes I think there’s going to be a lot of tension."
- Imogen Braddick
HOW HAS THE QUEEN'S LIFE CHANGED DURING THE PANDEMIC?
The Queen has been a reassuring presence for many during the past 12 months as the country endured the pandemic and come to terms with life under lockdown.
The Queen's domestic situation changed, with the threat of the virus necessitating that the 94-year-old monarch isolate with the Duke of Edinburgh and a small group from her household – dubbed HMS Bubble.
The couple have spent much of the past 12 months together at Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Sandringham – seeing more of each other than they would in a normal year.
Some of the Queen's working life has also moved online, with audiences with new ambassadors conducted via video calls, while her weekly audiences with the Prime Minister have become telephone conversations.
And last year, large public events the monarch would have hosted such as investiture ceremonies, garden parties and Buckingham Palace receptions were cancelled or postponed
- Claudia Aoraha
HARRY AND MEGHAN 'MORBIDLY OBSESSED' WITH KEEPING SECRETS OF ARCHIE'S BIRTH PRIVATE
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's determination to keep the details of their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's birth completely secret resulted in "tears of frustration and despair" behind the scenes, an expert has claimed.
Rather than following the approach used by Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Sussexes did things their own way – keeping the location to themselves.
The Daily Mail's Rebecca English claims that Harry became "morbidly obsessed" with keeping the information completely private, but many fans supported their decision.
- Claudia Aoraha
HARRY MOCKED FOR HAVING 'TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS'
Prince Harry has been mocked for having "too much time on his hands" after a fan of the Duke of Sussex claimed that she has received a reply from him.
During Channel 5's Jeremy Vine programme, Rose from Lincolnshire said Prince Harry has sent her photos and notes.
Jeremy Vine stated the Duke of Sussex could be replying to the fanmail in order to fill his empty days.
- Claudia Aoraha
SEX PISTOLS ICON SAYS HARRY SHOULD GIVE TAXPAYERS' MONEY BACK
God Save the Queen punk Johnny Rotten is spitting mad about Prince Harry — and says he should return the money he has cost the taxpayer.
The Sex Pistols icon insists Harry, 36, was selfish to ditch the Royal Family and move to LA with wife Meghan, 39.
Rotten, 65, real name John Lydon, said: “That Prince Harry, he’s making no effort to try and improve the situation — he’s just thinking of himself here.
“Well, hello. Give the money back.
“It’s a terrible thing to say because of course he can’t, he never asked for it in the first place but he’s making people resent him when he should have chosen a better route.”
- Claudia Aoraha
MEGHAN IS 'LESS POPULAR THAN CAMILLA' STUDY FINDS
Meghan Markle is less popular among Britons than Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, new data released by YouGov shows.
In the top 15 charts on the popularity of royals, Meghan now ranks 11th.
Among the 1,515 British adults interviewed, 32 per cent have a positive opinion of the Duchess while 25 per cent have a neutral one.
But a staggering 40 per cent said to hold a negative opinion on the Duchess of Sussex.
- Claudia Aoraha
DROP THEIR TITLES, SAYS PIERS MORGAN
Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan said if he was the monarch he would insist the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have to drop their titles.
He made the comments ahead of the upcoming Megxit review.
Writing in the Daily Mail, he blasted: "It's outrageous that the pair of them swan around America selling themselves off their titles to the highest bidder – and makes an absolute mockery of their endless whining about how they had to flee the Royal Family and Britain to find 'freedom'.
- John Hall
MEGHAN TO STAY IN US WHILE HARRY COMES TO UK
Meghan Markle is likely to stay at home in the US while Prince Harry visits his family in the UK this summer, it has been reported.
Insiders say the Duke of Sussex is almost certain to visit his family in London for the first time since Megxit this June – but his wife is unlikely to join.
Insiders stress the couple have not yet finalised their summer plans and much will depend on whether coronavirus restrictions allow them to travel.
But they understand Harry, 36, will likely fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William along with his niece and nephews.
- John Hall
MEGHAN ‘SHUT ME OUT AND ENDED RELATIONSHIP’ SAYS DAD
Meghan Markle’s dad claims her “heartfelt” letter actually “shut” him out and ended their relationship.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is said to have felt forced to write a “painful” letter to her dad after they reached “breaking point”.
Her lawyer Justin Rushbrooke QC described the 1,250-word letter as “a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father”.
But in a sensational witness statement, Thomas Markle claimed the letter was a “criticism” of him.
And he said it actually “signalled the end of our relationship” – rather than be the “reconciliation” letter pals claimed it was.
- John Hall
KATE 'EXHAUSTED' BY LOCKDOWN CHILDREN DUTIES
The Duchess of Cambridge revealed she has been giving her kids DIY haircuts — much to their horror — but has found parenting exhausting during lockdown.
Kate made the confession in a video chat with mums, dads and teachers about mental health.
A rare moment of public affection saw her praise Prince William for being her “biggest support”.
But when asked to write down a word that describes experiences of looking after their children, Kate held up a piece of paper that read: “Exhausting.”
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