Plenty of showers for the north west. So there goes your week ahead, a very unsettled week to come, look out for strong winds and heavy rain. Today at 5pm, the queen is holding talks with senior royals, to discuss the future roles, of the duke and duchess of sussex. Princes william and harry have dismissed as false and offensive, the latest press reports that their relationship has broken down. The meeting is likely to deal with harry and meghans plans, to step back as senior royals, and spend part of their time in north america. Well have more from sandringham, and well be talking to two royal commentators. The other main stories on bbc news at 5pm. Boris johnson visits stormont, to meet members of the newly restored Northern Ireland assembly, after three years of political deadlock there. Whats so great about today is, as i say, that Northern Ireland politicians have put aside their differences, stepped up to the plate, and shown leadership. Five candidates are through to the next round of the labour leadership contest,
four women and one man. Can you introduce me as joker . And, joker leads the pack in the oscar nominations, three films receive ten nominations each, including the First World War epic 1917. Well be speaking to two best actress nominees, little womens Saoirse Ronan and bombshells charlize theron. Its five oclock. Our main story is that the queen is hosting a meeting at sandringham, involving Senior Members of the royal family, to discuss the future roles of the duke and duchess of sussex, who said last week that they wanted to step back as senior royals, and divide their time between the uk
and north america. Press reports, suggesting a breakdown in relations between Prince William and prince harry, have been strongly denied by both princes who said the claims were false and offensive. Our royal correspondent Daniela Relph is at sandringham and we can speak to her now. Who has some latest development for us. Who has some latest development for us. We have just who has some latest development for us. We havejust had a who has some latest development for us. We have just had a Statement Released on behalf of her majesty the queen from Buckingham Palace in which it says, my family have had very constructive discussions on the future my grandson and his family. My future my grandson and his family. My family future my grandson and his family. Myfamily and future my grandson and his family. My family and i are entirely supportive of harry and megans decide to create a new life as a young family. Although we wouldve preferred them to remain full time working members of the royalfamily, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valid part of my family. Harry and meghan
have made clear they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the suffixes was spent time in canada and the uk. These are complex matters that live for my family to resolve and theres some more work to be done but ive asked forfinal some more work to be done but ive asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days. That statement just released reached in the coming days. That statementjust released within the past few minutes on behalf of the queen giving us a flavour of discussions today. In them she talked about understanding harry and meghans decide to lead a different kind of life although clearly she was sorry that they no longer wanted to be full time members of the royal family and sing again it will take a little while to resolve some of the more complex issues but you want this resolved as quickly as possible. Fastening parts that statement and you have added a few more including that phrase although we would have preferred them to remain full time members of
the royal family. Remain full time members of the royal family. Clearly it remain full time members of the royal family. Clearly it said very nicely and to medically and courteously as youd expect but what is going on behind that . Its interesting, isnt it . What fascinates me about that is that we are so, it is not very often we hear are so, it is not very often we hear a statement that is so personal from the queen. Often statements release in her behalf are official, her response to something. This is a personal message from a grandmother about what is happening within her family and saying this is what i wanted, i want to Something Different to happen here, i wanted harry and meghan to stay within the royal family harry and meghan to stay within the royalfamily as harry and meghan to stay within the royal family as it exists as working Senior Member to the causes that they care about under the umbrella of the British Royalfamily they care about under the umbrella of the British Royal family but i understand that its not what they wa nt understand that its not what they want and therefore we have to create a different path for them. I think in that letter you can really sense she is sorry and she would have preferred Something Different to happen. Clearly as you say again you we re
happen. Clearly as you say again you were alluding to it, they will have been attempts to persuade them maybe to roll back from the plans that they announced last week. A different path for them. I think in that letter you can really sense she is sorry and she would have preferred Something Different to happen. Clearly as you say again you we re happen. Clearly as you say again you were alluding to it, they will have been attempts to persuade them maybe to rollback from the plans that they announced last week. Clearly it was harry and meghans express wish that they would follow this new path and they would follow this new path and the royalfamily, they would follow this new path and the royal family, other they would follow this new path and the royalfamily, other members of the royalfamily, other members of the royal family, etc the royalfamily, other members of the royalfamily, etc sauces if the royalfamily, other members of the royal family, etc sauces if they had no choice but to go along with that. Yeah, when you have lusted be a fly that. Yeah, when you have lusted be afly in that. Yeah, when you have lusted be a fly in the wall here for the meeting at sandringham this afternoon . Well to have been a fly on the wall . When you read the statement, some efforts would have been made to have made the think different leafless of could they been accommodated in the structure as it exits and been persuaded to carry on working as senior memory so the royal family. That carry on working as senior memory so the royalfamily. That is carry on working as senior memory so the royal family. That is clearly not what they want and that has now been recognised by the whole family led by the queen. The work now will go forward into creating this different path and sort of an exit plan for them. Adjusting they say clearly that they do not expect to ta ke clearly that they do not expect to
take any kind of public funds for this new role that theyre going to create. That has been said very explicitly within the statement and that was obscene area of particular difficulty in terms of taxpayer money and how various things will be funded. What we dont have in there is any real detail in terms of what happens going forward. It is a broad statement, it gives us a flavour of what has been discussed and really what has been discussed and really what the mood music was in the room but in terms of the detail about titles, the kind of fourth they will do and how their security will be financed, we dont have any of that kind of detail at the moment. Daniela will talk again and while for some thats the latest from sending them. If youre just annoying joining us from peeps you suffice. The b recap the statement from her majesty the queen which says as follows. Today my family had very constructive consist discusses on the fishermen grandson and his family that is prince harry and mac one, the duke and duchess of sussex. My family
are supportive of harry and meghans desire is a new family. Although it wouldve preferred them to remain full time members of the row family and tight micro we understand their wish to live a more independent life or remaining a valued part of my family. Harry and meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds and the new lives. It is therefore been agreed that they tied micro 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. There is some more work to be done, but ive asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days. That statement from Buckingham Palace literally a few minutes ago. What i would like to do now is to bring in dan wootton, executive editor of the sun, who broke the news that meghan and harry were planning to step back as senior royals. He joins me from the suns offices in central london. Hejoins us, he joins us, thanks hejoins us, thanks forjoining us. What you make of the queens statement . To be honest, what harry
and meghan watt, harry and meghan get, this is exactly what they hope for. This is a commitment it seems from the monarch that they will remain members of the royalfamily and they will be allowed to live in canada and by all accounts is what we can read into the statement seek commercial deals. And there is something that for a long time members of the royal family, something that for a long time members of the royalfamily, Senior Members of the royalfamily, Senior Members of the royalfamily, Senior Members of the royal family, members of the royalfamily, Senior Members of the royalfamily, were deeply against. So, it does feel like harry and meghan have got their desired outcome from this meeting today even though very few details have been agreed. Basically took swing to fewer errors really you are seeing this is a significant milestone in the story of the windsor is an royal family stop you what this is a victory for harry and meghan because this is the queen. The queen conceding and this is potentially now a benchmark for future royal children. Prince
william interesting and what the future holds for example for charlotte and louis, is the queen conceding that harry and meghan will be able to live in canada earning their own money while remaining members of the royal family. Their own money while remaining members of the royalfamily. It feels like again this is not confirmed from the statement, but it feels like they will keep their hrh titles and it will open up the royal family to much more scrutiny. Thats the point i wanted to raise really when we talk about this period of transition and the way that public funds will be phased out as we understand it of the lives of harry and meghan, thats where the questions will come and show it. How long with a period of transition become a months or years . Absolutely and also on the security costs, frog more cottage, are they going to pay commercial rent for that, what about taxes in canada and the us . Obviously meghan as a us citizen already has to pay double taxes. So many questions, it feels like there are no answers to those specifics but the queen who is obviously had conversations with harry today face to face for the first time in some ways has accepted that his desire to exit as a Senior Member of the royal family is so strong, and the royal family is so strong, and the point that i have made today is remember the queen and Prince Charles remember so cruelly what happened with Princess Diana back in 1995. She was stripped of her hrh titles, she was essentially cast out from the family and as a result after her death in 1997, there was a huge backlash about her treatment. The queen does not want to make the same mistake again. As i mentioned dan you mention the sort broke the story about the plans announced by harry and meghan, i want to know your take is on the statement we had today which was kind of released jointed between william and harry where they dismiss and very strong
terms any suggestion that there has been an element of bullying in the relationship or indeed the extent to which that relationship has broken down. What is your reading of that . My down. What is your reading of that . My reading of that and ive spoken people close to william and harry on this very issue today, is that they ta ke this very issue today, is that they take huge exception to the idea that Prince William somehow bullied Prince William somehow bullied prince harry out of the royal family. But there is absolutely no disagreement with people close to william and harry that there has been huge fractures in their relationship. They are no longer close, that is a personal tragedy for both those brothers. Its something that personally i hope they will be able to work on in the yea rs they will be able to work on in the years to come. But it doesnt show you just how badly this marriage has shaken up the royal family. You just how badly this marriage has shaken up the royalfamily. Dan really good to talk to you, thank you forjoining us once again. Thank you. Dan wootton, executive editor
of the sun and our thanks for him joining him that china sent bbc news past. The Prime Minister borisjohnson and the Taisoeach Leo Varadkar have been in belfast, meeting members of the newly revived devolved government. Mrjohnson says its a historic time for the people of Northern Ireland, after power sharing was restored on saturday, after a three year stalemate. Our ireland correspondent chris page is at stormont with the latest. Lets just underline the importance of whats been achieved here. Thats right, for so long, stormont has been empty and so often felt even forewarned but now it is a place of power again and the First Official visitors since was restored was borisjohnson visitors since was restored was Boris Johnson and leo visitors since was restored was borisjohnson and leo varadkar. Mr johnson has said he put his stamp of approval on the First Official. Asi approval on the First Official. As i was of arrector. The First Official visit to the headquarters
of the government which hasnt existed for more than 1,000 days. Many wondered if the deal would ever be sealed. But after months of negotiations, the power sharing coalition is back, headed by the democratic unionists leader Arlene Foster and Michelle Oneill of sinn fein. Mrjohnson wanted to savour a landmark moment. Never mind the hand of history on my shoulder. I see the hand of history. No, i see the hand of the future. I see the hand of the future beckoning us all forward, i do hope that with goodwill and compromise and hard work on all sides it will be a very Bright Future indeed. The Prime Minister was might come to Apartment Building thats suddenly functioning and abuzz after a long and toxic stalemate. But now that the negotiations to restore devolution have succeeded, the parties are keen to talk cash. The biggest priority
will be solving huge problems in the regional nhs. Northern ireland has the longest hospital waiting times in the uk by far, and workers, including nurses, have been on strike over pay and staffing levels. But they think having a Government Back will make a big difference. Of course our Health Service is still in crisis. Nothing has changed in two days, but the fact we have local political leaders in place, decision makers, that we have found the table around the table that we can have decisions made at, thats a tremendous step forward. The question now is how much money local ministers will need to resolve the Health Service crisis and achieve all the other aims set out to restore devolution. Theres commitment that schools will have a sustainable budget, storm and says that in the last decade education spending has fallen stormont says that in the last decade education spending has fallen by £250 million in real terms. Another focus is infrastructure, a high speed rail link from belfast and dublin to cork will be considered, and there is a promise
to upgrade the sewerage system. Northern ireland water says it will take £2. 5 billion to make it fit for purpose. All that is just a start. Stormonts power sharing partnership has been reborn. But these new ministers have a massive challenge to make Northern Ireland thrive. One of the issues and then deal to bring stormont back is that deal with the many unsolved killings during the troubles. Borisjohnson met with the irish Prime Minister leo varadkar at met with the irish Prime Minister leo va radkar at lunchtime today met with the irish Prime Minister leo varadkar at lunchtime today and they were asked about that issue in particular. Agencies were designed a few years ago but they have not been up few years ago but they have not been up and running yet but there is a pledge to now bring forward legislation to do that within the next 100 days. One of the most contentious aspects is how and whether soldiers involved in the killings during the conflict here should be prosecuted. So the british and irish Prime Ministers were asked if they were at odds on that particular issue. I think actually when you look at what the
sides here of had to do, they have found th