Royal rift: UK PM Johnson confident that family can sort out differences

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said he was "absolutely confident" that the Royal Family will "sort out" a future role for the Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who stunned the nation with their announcement that they want to "step back" from being full-time working royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their bombshell announcement on Wednesday that they intend to "step back" from being frontline royals, split their time between the UK and North America, and work towards becoming "financially independent".

This forced the 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II to call an emergency meeting of the Royal Family on Monday at Sandringham, her residence in Norfolk, some 161 km north of London.

A statement after the meeting said the Queen was supportive of Prince Harry and Meghan's move to step back from front line royal duties, and would work with them during a "period of transition" when the couple can divide their time between the UK and Canada.

Reacting to the royal rift, Prime Minister Johnson told BBC Breakfast: "I am a massive fan... of the queen and the royal family as a fantastic asset for our country."
"Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."