THE Queen has agreed to a “New Firm” consisting of eight senior royals without Prince Harry, Meghan Markle or Prince Andrew.
Her Majesty, 94, is said to have formed the new group to ensure her mantra of “one must be seen to be believed” is carried out next year.
The group includes Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne and the Queen.
They were pictured together for the first time this week as they paid tribute to Britain’s heroes during the coronavirus pandemic.
It was the Queen’s idea to get the new collective to gather on the steps of Windsor Castle, where she has been isolating.
‘NEW FIRM’
The group does not include Prince Harry, Meghan or Prince Andrew.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was not in the photograph after retiring in 2017.
They will now work together in a bid to get the Royal Family to carry out their full duties as soon as possible, reports the Mirror.
It is likely to fit Prince Charles’ desire to create a slimmed-down monarchy.
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, has been described as “dedicated and hard-working” due to her work throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
Royal insiders said she is “always busy” and she has been dubbed the “royal family’s secret weapon” after she appeared in joint video calls with the Queen and Duchess of Cambridge.
The new group will hope to steady the ship following the fall-out from the breakdown of the original Firm.
Meghan and Harry sent shockwaves through the family after quitting their royal roles in a move dubbed Megxit.
MEGXIT
They have since relocated to California and the Queen has urged the family to remain calm and desperately wants to return to their “back to basics” attitude.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew was also banned from front-line duties after his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.
A royal source told the Mirror: “The family are united in exploring the possibilities in working with each other to highlight the causes dear to their hearts, helping each other and the country at the same time.
“They are working on opportunities for next year and beyond already. As soon as they are able it will be all hands on deck to make up for lost time.
“The Queen has often said they ‘need to be seen to be believed’ – this is coming from the very top.”
A palace source added: “It is clear there is a desire to return to normal when possible.”
