Queen Elizabeth II Calls Family Council to Discuss Future of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Unrest reigns within the royal family.

The British royal family will meet on Monday, January 13, to discuss the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after the couple announced earlier this week that they want to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. CNN reports.

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry will take part in the meeting at the royal Sandringham Estate. Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is expected to join the meeting by phone from Canada.

News of these discussions follows a series of meetings and consultations held over the past few days. There are a number of options for reviewing the family's arrangements, given the couple's thinking set out in their statement. However, any change to the working lives and roles of royal family members requires complex and careful discussion.

This will be the first meeting of senior royal family members since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced, against the queen's wishes, that they will step back from their royal duties, seek financial independence and divide their lives between Britain and North America. The royal family was "upset" by the decision of Harry and Meghan.

The Duchess of Sussex has since returned to Canada, where the couple spent the holidays with her mother. It is unclear when Meghan will return to Britain.