Queen Elizabeth II Drives Through Sandringham Estate Amid ‘Complicated’ Discussions With Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA; Shutterstock (inset)

Queen Elizabeth II Drives Through Sandringham Estate Amid ‘Complicated’ Discussions With Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan

On a mission. Queen Elizabeth II was spotted looking concerned as she drove through her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, in the wake of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's bombshell announcement. The 93-year-old royal matriarch donned a cream-colored headscarf and dark utility jacket and sat behind the wheel with a grave face. Her outing came one day after Us Weekly reported that she had called an emergency meeting to continue to work through the shocking news that Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, planned to "step back" from the royal family. "The Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cambridge have directed their teams to work at pace with governments and the Sussexes' office to find workable solutions, and this is expected to take days, not weeks," a palace source told Us on Thursday, January 9. [jwplayer zPKmATTb-l3ahXupL] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote in a joint statement one day earlier that "after many months of reflection and internal discussions," they had decided to transition out of their roles as senior members of the royal family. However, Buckingham Palace officials said the "complicated" discussion was still in its "early stages" at the time of the announcement. Harry and Meghan took the world — and even members of the royal family — by surprise with their decision to separate themselves from the spotlight. A source told Us on Wednesday, January 8, that Prince William and Duchess Kate felt "blindsided" by the news. The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, appeared uncharacteristically solemn as she stepped out for her birthday celebration one day after her in-laws made headlines. Amid Meghan and Harry’s "completely unprecedented" exit, CNN reported that the Suits alum had flown back to Canada by herself. Harry, for his part, stayed behind in the U.K. The retired actress and her husband spent the Christmas holiday in Vancouver Island, Canada, and both have a “strong connection” to the country. “The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family,” the couple wrote on Instagram upon their return to royal duties on Tuesday, January 7. Scroll down to see more of Queen Elizabeth II's outing amid the royal bombshell. [podcast_block]

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA; Shutterstock (inset)

Queen Elizabeth II Drives Through Sandringham Estate Amid ‘Complicated’ Discussions With Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan

On a mission. Queen Elizabeth II was spotted looking concerned as she drove through her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, in the wake of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's bombshell announcement. The 93-year-old royal matriarch donned a cream-colored headscarf and dark utility jacket and sat behind the wheel with a grave face. Her outing came one day after Us Weekly reported that she had called an emergency meeting to continue to work through the shocking news that Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, planned to "step back" from the royal family. "The Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cambridge have directed their teams to work at pace with governments and the Sussexes' office to find workable solutions, and this is expected to take days, not weeks," a palace source told Us on Thursday, January 9. [jwplayer zPKmATTb-l3ahXupL] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote in a joint statement one day earlier that "after many months of reflection and internal discussions," they had decided to transition out of their roles as senior members of the royal family. However, Buckingham Palace officials said the "complicated" discussion was still in its "early stages" at the time of the announcement. Harry and Meghan took the world — and even members of the royal family — by surprise with their decision to separate themselves from the spotlight. A source told Us on Wednesday, January 8, that Prince William and Duchess Kate felt "blindsided" by the news. The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, appeared uncharacteristically solemn as she stepped out for her birthday celebration one day after her in-laws made headlines. Amid Meghan and Harry’s "completely unprecedented" exit, CNN reported that the Suits alum had flown back to Canada by herself. Harry, for his part, stayed behind in the U.K. The retired actress and her husband spent the Christmas holiday in Vancouver Island, Canada, and both have a “strong connection” to the country. “The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family,” the couple wrote on Instagram upon their return to royal duties on Tuesday, January 7. Scroll down to see more of Queen Elizabeth II's outing amid the royal bombshell. [podcast_block]

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

On a Mission

The queen looked determined and solemn as she was spotted driving around Sandringham Estate in the aftermath of her grandson's shocking announcement.

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

It's 'Complicated'

Shortly after Harry and Meghan made their initial statement, Buckingham Palace claimed, "We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

'Completely Unprecedented'

Royal expert Richard Fitzsimmons told Us that some big changes were ahead for the royal family. "What we’ve seen is something that is a blow to the royal family," he said. "It's completely unprecedented."

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

Family Meeting

The monarch called an emergency meeting on Thursday to try to find "workable solutions" for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. "This is expected to take days, not weeks," a source told Us.

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

Royally Shocked

The queen wasn't the only one taken aback by the Sussexes' decision. A source told Us that William and Kate felt "blindsided" by the news.

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

Causing a Stir

"Meghan is definitely leading the charge on this," a royal insider told Us. "[She] doesn’t have a lot of ties to Kensington Palace, the people or the other royals."

Credit: James Whatling/MEGA

Standing Their Ground

Despite the media frenzy around their decision, Harry and Meghan are "feeling confident" that they made the right choice. "Creating a positive future for themselves and their family has always been their priority," Harper's Bazaar wrote on Thursday.