The Queen is at the centre of crisis talks today with Prince Harry, after he and Meghan Markle announced last week that they intend to step down as senior members of the Royal Family. Prince Charles and Prince William are expected to be in attendance, too, as the Royal Family thrashes out how the Duke and Duchess will be financed, alongside other key issues. However, the proceedings echo another crisis summit at Sandringham.

In 1995, the Queen summoned both Prince Charles and Prince Andrew to her Norfolk estate, where she demanded that the princes both initiate divorce proceedings from Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson.

Channel 5’s “Paxman on the Queen’s Children”, which first aired last year, heard from royal reporters who documented the breakdown of the royal marriages. 

Sarah – otherwise known as Fergie – and Diana’s relationships followed similar trajectories, with both women separating from their husbands in 1992.

Scandal would soon follow, notably with Fergie’s indiscretions going public in the “toe-sucking scandal” photographs, and Princess Diana’s bombshell 1995 Panorama interview in which she made revelations, including that of Charles’ infidelity, that rocked the Royal Family.

However, by 1995, the documentary reveals, the Queen had decided “enough is enough”.

Jeremy Paxman explains: “Her Majesty had a plan to take back control from her wayward children.” 

Mr Paxman speaks to veteran royal reporter Phil Dampier, who broke the news of the Queen issuing an “ultimatum” to her eldest sons.

Mr Dampier says: “The Queen had summoned her children to what you can only describe as a summit, at Sandringham.

“The monarchy itself was in peril, it was at such a low ebb.

“It was in such a terrible state that they had to do something.

“That was the turning point when the Queen said, enough is enough, you must now divorce. We have to draw a line under this.

“Someone overheard the conversation, they’d discussed the fact that she was telling Charles and Andrew that they needed to get divorced.” 

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Mr Paxman adds: “Having been read the riot act by mummy, both Charles and Andrew were divorced within months.”

Fergie and Andrew would be the first to finalise their divorce in May 1996, with the Duchess of York reportedly receiving a lump sum settlement of £3million and £15,000 a year.

Diana and Charles would follow in August 1996, with the Princess of Wales receiving a lump sum settlement of £17million and £400,000 a year.

Both royal women lost the use of the title “Her Royal Highness” post-divorce, with Fergie now being known simply as “Sarah, Duchess of York”.

The issue of Meghan and Harry’s HRH titles will be one of the key sources of debate today, too. 

Speaking to LBC last night, Mr Dampier said: “Ultimately it’s up to the Queen.

“But I think the Queen would be reluctant to do that.

“It’s certainly there, as a potential bargaining chip if you like, and a potential punishment.”

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