LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House on January 07, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The entire royal family descended upon Sandringham overnight for a summit organised by the Queen to discuss Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s next steps after the couple dropped a bombshell last week announcing their decision to step back as ‘senior’ royals and to split their time between North America and the UK.

Perhaps the biggest shock to come out of Harry and Meghan’s announcement was the aftermath, with reports suggesting the Queen and Prince Charles weren’t made aware prior to the couple going public.

But, almost a week on, we finally have a bit of clarity as to why everything seemed so rushed and confused.

According to sources, the statement was pushed forwards because Harry was worried about his wife’s mental well-being about returning to life at Buckingham Palace after their six-week break: the couple spent the festive period in Los Angeles and Canada, where its thought they worked on their exit strategy.

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According to the source, Harry and Meghan’s time in Canada helped Meghan determine that her family would be better off splitting their time between the UK and North America and that Harry rushed the statement out because he felt he needed to take immediate action to protect his wife’s mental health upon their return to London.

“The statement was rushed out and part of the reason for that is that Harry knew he needed to take swift action,” the source said. “Meghan has not settled in the UK and he knows that and wants her to be happy.”

Per the Daily Mail“Prince Harry fast-tracked plans for both himself and Meghan Markle to quit as senior members of the royal family as he was worried she would have a ‘meltdown’ if she remained in the UK.”

The ‘Sandringham summit‘ was attended by the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry with Meghan Markle thought to have been joining by video conference from Canada.