What Prince Harry Said About 'Sandringham Summit' That Saw William 'Scream'

Since moving to the U.S. in 2020, Prince Harry has spoken out about the decision-making process behind palace walls that resulted in his separation from the monarchy and renunciation of his working royal roles in Britain.

From his bombshell six-part Netflix docuseries with Meghan Markle in 2022 and 410-page memoir in 2023, Harry has made concerted efforts to present his side of the split with the royals in his own words.

Here, Newsweek looks at how the prince has described the meeting which has come to be known as the "Sandringham Summit," the crisis meeting that determined Harry and Meghan's royal future.

What Was The "Sandringham Summit"?

The Sandringham Summit is the name given by the media to the meeting between Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II and senior royal aides to determine whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would carry on as full-time working royals or not.

The meeting was prompted by Harry and Meghan publishing a new website in January 2020 while staying with their son Prince Archie in Canada, following a difficult 12 months. The duchess had experienced a number of hostile stories against her in the press, as well as coming under fire on social media. Together the couple launched lawsuits against tabloid publishers and, it was later revealed, had faced rising tensions within the royal family itself.

On the new website, the couple said they were entering a new phase of their working lives, where they would pursue private careers to earn their own income, becoming financially independent, while still carrying out duties for Queen Elizabeth.

When the announcement was made, the couple were accused of blindsiding the royals with their plan, something they have since denied. As a result, an emergency meeting was called at the queen's Sandringham House in Norfolk where she was spending her winter vacation.

Harry attended the meeting alone.

What Was The Outcome of The "Sandringham Summit"?

After the meeting took place on January 13, Harry returned to Canada and a statement was released from Buckingham Palace on behalf of Queen Elizabeth on January 18, notifying the public that the prince and Meghan were stepping down from their roles completely, effective that March.

"Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family," the queen said.

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.

"I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life...It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."

In a return statement, Harry and Meghan said they were "grateful" to the queen, and understood that they were being "required to step back from royal duties."

The statement continued to add that the couple would no longer use their "HRH" (His/Her Royal Highness) titles and that they had registered their wish to repay the funds used from the Sovereign Grant to refurbish their home at Frogmore Cottage.

The couple undertook their final engagement as working royals on March 9, at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

What Did Prince Harry Say About the "Sandringham Summit" in His Netflix Show?

In the Netflix show Harry & Meghan, the royal couple opened up for the first time about the circumstances surrounding the Sandringham Summit, including the fact that Meghan was not invited to attend.

"I had to get back, because Archie was in Canada," she told viewers of her brief visit to Britain with Harry made in January.

"It was only once Meg had left and gone back to Canada that [the summit] was then arranged," Harry said, going on to add: "It was clear to me that they'd planned it so that you weren't in the room."

The prince recalled "happy" memories of growing up at Sandringham, where he would spend every Christmas with the queen.

Of the purpose of the meeting itself, Harry said he went in to propose the working model he and Meghan had announced on their website, a half-in and half-out method, but he was confronted with five options.

"One being, all in, no change. Five being, all out," he said. "I chose option three in the meeting. Half-in, half-out. Have our own jobs, but also work in support of the queen.

"It became very clear very quickly, that goal was not up for discussion or debate."

When discussing the meeting, Harry recounted a furious outburst from his brother, Prince William and the reactions of his father and grandmother.

"It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me," he said. "And my father say things that just simply weren't true, and my grandmother, you know, quietly sit there, and sort of take it all in."

He said that at the end of the meeting the group hadn't yet come to a solid action plan and that the queen was left to take advice from her aides. He also revealed that one of his greatest regrets from that period is that he and William were forced onto opposing sides, with his brother protecting his "inheritance" with the "institution."

What Did Prince Harry Say About the "Sandringham Summit" in His Memoir?

In his memoir, Spare, which was published three years after the Sandringham Summit on January 10, 2023, Harry went into more detail about the meeting.

He revealed to readers that William vented frustration that he was "being accused of bullying" the couple out of the family, and added that the senior palace aides in the meeting had already drafted a statement saying that he had selected option five, a full separation from the monarchy.

In Spare, Harry described that his main concern from that point was keeping his full-time police protection, which had at the time been funded by the British taxpayer.

"I told everyone assembled that, above all, I was desperate to keep security. That was what worried me most, my family's physical safety," he wrote, going on to reference the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. "I wanted to prevent a repeat of history, another untimely death like the one that had rocked this family to its core 23 years earlier, and from which we were still trying to recover."

He also stated that he offered to pay for the cost of the police protection if it was to be no longer funded by the state.

"I offered to defray the cost of security out of my own pocket. I wasn't sure how I'd do that, but I'd find a way. I made one last pitch: Look. Please. Meg and I don't care about perks, we care about working, serving—and staying alive. This seemed simple and persuasive. All the heads around the table went up and down."

After the meeting, it was decided by the government committee in charge of the protection for members of the royal family and VIPs that Harry no longer qualified for full protection as he was no longer a working royal.

The prince later filed lawsuits against the Home Office for the decision, arguing that he should have been told that one of the queen's senior aides who had been at the Sandringham Summit was on the committee itself, and also that his offer to pay for the protection was not relayed to them.

In May 2023, a ruling was made that the prince was not able to pay for police protection in any eventuality, however, his second judicial review regarding his security is still ongoing.

What Happened After The "Sandringham Summit"?

In February 2021, Buckingham Palace announced that after a years grace period, Harry and Meghan would not return to life as working royals, per the understandings made in the Sandringham Summit.

The statement read: "Following conversations with the duke, the queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

It closed with the line: "While all are saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain much loved members of the family."

In response, Harry and Meghan released a statement confirming their decision but hit back at the reference to service.

"As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role," a spokesperson for the couple said.

"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."

Buckingham Palace and individual senior members of the royal family have not commented on the claims made by Harry in the Netflix series or his record-breaking memoir.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.