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A fraternal show of unity between Prince Harry and William before meeting with Queen

A fraternal show of unity between Prince Harry and William before meeting with Queen

By AFP
January 13, 2020

Sandringham: Prince Harry and his brother Prince William put on a united front as they were summoned to showdown talks Monday on Harry´s future after he and his wife Meghan unilaterally announced they were quitting as front-line British royalty.

The brothers lashed out at a story alleging that William bullied his younger brother, as newspapers speculated on what caused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to quit their roles in search of a new life.

William, 37, and 35-year-old Harry formed a close bond following their mother Diana´s death in 1997 but Harry admitted last month they had drifted apart and were now on different paths.

The fraternal show of unity came as they were summoned to talks with their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and father Prince Charles aimed at charting a way through the crisis.

The 93-year-old monarch called the trio to urgent discussions at her private Sandringham retreat in eastern England.

A story in The Times newspaper said Monday that Harry and Meghan saw themselves as having been "pushed away from the royal family" by William´s "´bullying´ attitude" -- adding that sources close to the princes had denied this version of events.

A statement on behalf of Harry and William said: "Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge.

"For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful."