Boris Johnson ‘absolutely confident’ that royal family will resolve ‘Megxit’
‘I think that all those dilemmas are well understood,’ says Prime Minister
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has said he is “absolutely confident” that the royal family is going to reach a solution following the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will step down from their roles.
“I am a massive fan of the Queen and of the royal family as a fantastic asset for our country,” the prime minister said on BBC Breakfast, his first sit-down interview since winning the general election in December.
“I am absolutely confident they are going to sort this out and I think they are probably going to sort it out all the more easier without any particular commentary from me,” he added.
When asked whether or not he thought Meghan and Prince Harry have the right to a private life, Johnson replied: “I think that all those dilemmas are well understood”.
The prime minister then repeated his earlier statement, that the royal couple will reach a solution without a “running commentary from politicians” such as himself.
Johnson was also asked whether he thought the UK had an issue with media intrusion, following claims that this was one of the primary reasons why Meghan and Harry wanted to step away from the royal life.
“Everybody’s got an opinion,” he responded. “That doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is helped by politicians weighing in on this. The royal family is one of the great, great assets of this country. I’m sure they are going to sort it out and I don’t think it’s necessarily helped by commentary from me.”
Johnson was equally evasive on the subject of racism in the media’s coverage of Meghan.
“I’m just going to repeat my point,” he said, declining to comment.
“The royal family is a fantastic part of our country,” he added, ”and so is the media, by the way”.
Johnson’s comments come after Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Queen in which she revealed her support for Meghan and Harry’s and added that a decision regarding their future will be reached in the coming days.
“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” the statement reads.
“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.
“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has since said that most Canadians are “very supportive” of Meghan and Harry but added that there are still discussions to be had regarding “how that looks and what kind of costs are involved”.
Speaking to Canadian TV network Global News, Trudeau added: "There are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the royal family, by the Sussexes themselves, as to what level of engagement they choose to have.
“We are obviously supportive of their reflections but have responsibilities in that as well.”
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