Prince William has reportedly told a friend he can't "put his arm around" his brother anymore.

Prince William

Prince William

The 37-year-old royal made the comment following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's recent announcement that they plan to step back as senior members of the royal family and split their time between the UK and North America.

He said, according to the Sunday Times newspaper: "I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that anymore; we're separate entities. I'm sad about that.

"All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we're all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team."

Meanwhile, Prince Harry has been summoned to meet Queen Elizabeth.

The 35-year-old royal has been asked to attend a meeting with the monarch, his father Prince Charles and his brother Prince William at Sandringham on Monday (13.01.20), with Duchess Meghan set to join via conference call.

A source recently said: "The family will gather on Monday at Sandringham to talk things through. Attendees will be Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.

"Following a series of meetings and consultations across the last few days, there are a range of possibilities for the family to review which take into account the thinking the Sussexes outlined earlier in the week. Making a change to the working lives and the role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will require both complex and thoughtful discussions. Next steps will be agreed at the meeting and the request for this to be resolved at pace is still Her Majesty's wish.

"The aim remains to have it resolved in days not weeks. There are a range of possibilities to review. There is genuine agreement and understanding that any decision will take time to be implemented. It is a family discussion and is also very complex. However, decisions will be taken in days not weeks and the news of the outcomes will be shared."