The Queen is facing another month of fighting fires after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped a bombshell revealing their intention to quit royal life. After a year handling backlash from Prince Philip’s car crash, the Sussexes’ private plane anger and Prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein interview outrage, how has the Queen had her heart broken by Prince Harry?

The Queen has been the head of the Royal Family since she rose to the throne in 1952.

Throughout her 68-year reign, she has managed all manner of domestic dramas, including infidelity, divorce, death and more.

Speaking of the Royal Family she once said: “Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.”

But now the Queen, 93, is facing heartbreak from her favourite of Prince Charles’ children.

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The Queen and Prince Harry are said to be very close and apparently the Queen holds a special place in her heart for the Duke of Sussex.

This love for Harry has been shown several times in past, in images where the pair have been photographed laughing and joking with one another many times or exchanging knowing comical looks together.

The Queen has also known her preference in allowing her grandson to break tradition and bring Meghan to Christmas at Sandringham before they married, which was never permitted for the spouses of several others, including Prince William and Zara Tindall.

But has that now all changed?

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced on January 8 they intended to step back as senior members of the Royal Family.

They said they would work to become financially independent and would likely divide their time between North America and Canada.

After a summit at Sandringham between the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry, the Queen published a statement to say the Royal Family supported the couple’s decision.

However, she revealed that she would have “preferred” they retained their roles as senior members of the Royal Family.

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On Sunday, Prince Harry spoke about the decision to step back for the first time in public.

The Duke of Sussex said he is “taking a leap of faith” in stepping back, adding that he felt “there really was no other option”.

He said that he had found “love and happiness” with Meghan and that they were “not walking away”.

He added: “The UK is my home and a place that I love, that will never change.”

Prince Harry added that it brought him “great sadness that it has come to this”.

Harry also said that he had “utmost respect” and was “grateful” to the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family for their support.

But despite this deep adoration the pair share for one another, the Queen’s heart has been broken by his defiance of one life-long promise.

The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, aged 21, promised to swear her entire life to royal duty.

She said: “My whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.”

Since that time, the Queen has remained as a stable figure during a long reign which has seen her welcome 14 prime ministers.

The Queen has always, no matter how difficult the decision, placed sentiment second to public perception and her duty.

This is an acumen which might appear to be lacking in many of her royal relatives, both past and present, for instance, Princess Margaret in wanting to marry a divorced equerry, Prince Philip’s determination to continue in the military, the Duke of York’s resignation, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan’s decision.

When it comes to making the most difficult decisions, sentiment has always taken second place, not only to common sense but public perception.

In the past, the Queen said: “There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors – a noble motto, ‘I serve’.”

For the Queen, the royals are servants of the Crown, meaning that duty always comes first.

When part of the Royal Family, there are certain rules, customs and expectations, and in breaking away from the Royal Family Prince Harry and Meghan have crushed the Queen’s promise to herself and for what she expects from members of the Royal Family.

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