Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their retirement as senior royals. The royals were apparently “blindsided” by the revelation, which sent shockwaves throughout the world. But how has the Queen conveyed that she is deeply saddened and regrets her grandson and granddaughter-in-law’s decision?

Queen Elizabeth issued a statement in favor of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s choice to stand down as senior royals — but it was not the end the monarch desired.

The Queen stated in a statement following the meeting that the discussions at Sandringham, which included the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, were “very constructive”

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” she stated.

“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

“Harry and Meghan have made clear that 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 Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK. These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”

The encounter took place on a turbulent day for the royals. Prior to the meeting, Princes William and Harry refuted a UK tabloid report suggesting that William’s “bullying attitude” was to blame for the family’s divides. The princes claimed in a joint statement that the news was “false,”

“For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful,” the statement stated.

Unlike earlier declarations, many royal observers have welcomed the Queen’s current remark as a clear indication of her displeasure with the couple’s announcement.

In contrast to past comments, the royal communication was sent on behalf of the Queen directly, implying that she is making a personal remark as a grandmother rather than the head of the British Royal Family.

According to royal historian and biographer of the Queen, Robert Lacey, the monarch’s response was “incredibly personal.”

“I can’t recall a royal statement where one gets the sense so much of the Queen herself speaking,” he tells PEOPLE. “Using phrases like ‘my family and I’ is very moving. It clearly shows her wish to resolve everything.”

The Queen’s biographer, Ingrid Seward, says, “It’s deliberately very vague and doesn’t tell us much apart from Harry and Meghan have won the first round. I’ve never seen a statement like that in 30 years. It was very personal and sounds very sad.”

According to BBC royal journalist Jonny Dymond, the Queen “wishes” Harry and Meghan will stay full-time working royals, but she recognizes their desire for independence.

He stated the Queen’s message was unusually honest and was effectively a “big hug” to the couple in the hopes of keeping them close to the Royal Family while listening to their preferences.

In recent months, both Prince Harry and Meghan have spoken about the hardships of royal life and media attention, with the duke expressing concern that his wife will succumb to “the same powerful forces” that led to his mother’s death.

The discussions regarding their future took place while Prince Harry and Prince William made a joint statement disputing “false claims” that their relationship had been harmed by the older brother’s “bullying”

Given their support for mental health concerns, they said that the “inflammatory language” in the allegations was “offensive” and “potentially harmful”

The Duke of Sussex, according to the Telegraph, regrets how the Queen learned the news.

A source told the Telegraph: “I don’t think he fully appreciated the impact the statement would have in terms of them not consulting the Queen. He regrets that.”

Despite the manner in which their news was made, the couple’s decision to stand down from key royal duties is not surprising.

While there was some inkling of the couple’s wish to go in a different direction, as talks have been confirmed, insiders tell PEOPLE that the monarch and senior members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and Prince William, were taken off guard by the couple’s declaration.

“There is a lot of hurt,” a royal source tells PEOPLE.