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Queen 'vetoes' Meghan and Harry's bid to break from Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House last week [Photo: Getty]
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House last week [Photo: Getty]

Last week it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have their own separate royal household, breaking away from the joint office they currently share with the Cambridges under Kensington Palace.

The Queen has given permission for Harry and Meghan to base their office at Buckingham Palace, but it’s understood that wasn’t what they wanted.

In a bid for independence, the parents-to-be reportedly wanted to have their own household entirely.

According to The Sunday Times, a royal source has said: “They wanted their household to be entirely independent of Buckingham Palace, but were told ‘no’.

“There is an institutional structure that doesn’t allow that kind of independence.

“The feeling is that it’s good to have the Sussexes under the jurisdiction of Buckingham Palace, so they can’t just go off and do their own thing.”

The Cambridges and Sussexes at the Commonwealth Day service last week [Photo: Getty]
The Cambridges and Sussexes at the Commonwealth Day service last week [Photo: Getty]

The Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter tells Yahoo UK: “Prince Philip called The Royal Family ‘The Firm,’ so you can’t go off and start creating your own establishment.

“The Sussexes are part of that Firm, therefore they have to set up within the Firm.

“You can’t start splitting off and doing your own thing, he [Harry] is part of the Royal Family and he is there in support of the Queen and so is Meghan.

“It makes practical sense, they are part of an establishment, part of an organisation and as such, they operate within that organisation and not as an independent unit.”

READ MORE: What you need to know about Meghan and Harry’s new royal household

Mr Arbiter says the “split” of Kensington Palace is nothing new for the Royal Family.

The Prince of Wales has established his own press office at Clarence House, just like Harry and William formed their own to begin with, at Kensington Palace.

Meghan and Harry are soon to move to Windsor ahead of their baby’s arrival [Photo: PA]
Meghan and Harry are soon to move to Windsor ahead of their baby’s arrival [Photo: PA]

“While Harry was a single man, his comfort zone was William and Catherine,” he says. “The brothers are close, you’ll never break that closeness, they’ll always be close, but when people get married, there is a slightly drift because they concentrate on their own family.

“Harry is now married and his comfort zone now is with Meghan, he’s going to be dad soon and they’re setting up home in Windsor.”

With William being second in line to the throne, he has a different path to take than Harry.

Mr Arbiter adds: “Their interests are very different and therefore they need dedicated staff to focus on those interests.”