Staying the course. Queen Elizabeth II may be in the midst of a royal crisis, but she is still sticking to her regular routine.
The 93-year-old monarch attended Sunday Service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, on Sunday, January 12 — one day before her planned emergency meeting with Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles to discuss Harry and Duchess Meghan‘s plan to step down as senior royals.
The Queen wore an all-brown ensemble, complete with a matching hat and coat, to the church service on Sunday. She was joined by Princess Anne‘s son, Peter Phillips, who was photographed chatting with fellow churchgoers.
Phillips, 42, reportedly told well-wishers that the Queen was doing “alright” when asked how she was holding up amid Harry and Meghan’s decision to redefine their royals within the British Royal Family, according to Daily Mail.
The Queen is scheduled to meet with Harry, 35, his father, Charles, 71, and his brother, William, 37, at her Sandringham estate on Monday, January 13, to iron out the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new roles within the royal family, according to Harper’s Bazaar royal correspondent Omid Scobie.
Harry and Meghan sent shock waves throughout the Commonwealth on Wednesday, January 8, when they announced their decision to step down as senior members of the British royal family and become financially independent.
“We have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the couple said in a statement on Instagram. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”
A source told Us Weekly at the time that their announcement “blindsided” the royal family and caused further strain between Harry and William.
Harry and Meghan, who married in May 2018, plan to split their time evenly between the U.K. and North America moving forward. While the pair did not specify where in North America they plan to relocate, they recently enjoyed a six-week Christmas break on Vancouver Island in Canada. Harry and Meghan have also reportedly flown their dogs to Canada, hinting at a long-term relocation to the country Meghan called home for seven years.
The royals returned to the U.K. earlier this week, while their 8-month-old son, Archie, remained in Canada under the care of Meghan’s BFF Jessica Mulroney and a nanny. Meghan reunited with her son on Thursday, January 9, and is expected to join the face-to-face summit by phone from Canada.
Scroll to see more photos from the Queen’s Sunday Service outing.