Former chaplain to the Queen Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden has expressed his disapproval of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepping back as senior royals.

Dr Ashenden, who was a chaplain from 2008 to 2017, said in a blog post the couple has chosen self-love over dutiful love.

“You don’t often, you don’t ever, hear the Queen talking about what she needs. The genius and beauty of her role is that she does her duty. Doing her duty is a way of loving others.

“The ideal the monarchy is founded on has strong Christian elements in which doing one’s duty on behalf of others takes priority over self-interest.”

He claimed that the Duchess of Sussex is having a hard time leaving her celebrity life, adding that “celebrity love is born out of the narcissism of the entertainment industry”.

“The problem for the Sussexes is the clash between two cultures, royal and celebrity,” he said.  

“It is beginning to look like Meghan has been unable or unwilling to transition from celebrity love to dutiful love.

“The first is more about ‘me and my needs’, and the second more about ‘them and theirs’.

“It looks like the Sussexes have chosen to put their own self-interests before their public duty and family.”

The Queen will host crisis talks with senior royals and the Duke of Sussex on Monday in a bid to find a solution to Meghan and Harry's future roles.

She will be joined at her private Norfolk estate of Sandringham by the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge for the crunch meeting - where the "next steps" will be decided, a source has told the PA news agency.

It will be the first time the four will have met since the issue engulfed the royal family.

The Sussexes' statement - and a new official Sussexroyal.com website - have thrown up important questions about funding for the couple's round-the-clock security, media access to their royal events and how they will pay for their future lifestyles.