Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not consult the Queen or Prince Charles before making their shock statement about ‘stepping back’ from royal life, it has emerged.
Senior members of the Royal Family are said to be disappointed and ‘hurt’ at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to quit their current roles and gain financial independence. The pair said they will now split their time between the UK and North America ‘while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen’.
The mood at Buckingham Palace was said to be ‘one of disappointment’ while the BBC has reported senior royals as being ‘hurt’ by the announcement. It is understood Harry and Meghan had just begun talks with the Queen and Charles about their future roles when they made their decision to go public, posting their shock statement on Instagram.
Buckingham Palace responded to the news with its own statement saying: ‘Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.
‘We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.’
It’s understood the Queen was only recently informed of Harry and Meghan’s future plans and were not aware the statement was due to be issued.
A huge motivation for the couple was their eight-month-old baby Archie, who they said they wished to raise ‘with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter’.
The move comes less than two years after their marriage at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in May 2018.
Since then, both Harry and Meghan have faced harsh criticism over their use of private jets – taking four in 11 days last summer. They have also been slammed for spending £2.4m of public money on the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, their Berkshire home, where it is understood they will continue to spend half their time when in the UK.
The Sussex’s financial aims have been outlined on their official website which states the couple ‘…value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing. For this reason they have made the choice to become members of the royal family with financial independence.’
Any future role which the couple take on for financial gain will have to be scrutinised to ensure they are not seen as profiteering from their position as members of the monarchy. Harry and Meghan’s announcement came weeks after Prince Andrew stepped down from Royal duties amid the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and his disastrous TV interview on the matter.
Prince Harry – one of the most popular members of the royal family with the public – and Andrew will now have a far lower public profile at a time of potentially great change for the country as Britain leaves the EU. The couple’s move follows weeks of speculation about their future after they took an extended break from royal duties over the festive period.
They only recently returned from their six-week break spent in the Canadian province of British Columbia with son Archie and this week visited Canada House in London to thank Canadians in person for the warmth of the welcome they received. It is likely they will be spending their time in the Commonwealth country when not in the UK and may travel to America, Meghan’s homeland and where her mother lives.
Meghan, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together when Meghan joined her then-boyfriend Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in the city. The cost of security for the couple would also be an issue, and as Canada is a realm, a country where the Queen is head of state, it may have to pay for keeping the couple and their son Archie safe.
The couple’s aim to be ‘financially independent’ may point towards them seeking a job, or a paid role with an organisation whose aims complement their own beliefs. Other members of the monarchy who have salaried jobs include the Queen’s grandchildren Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Peter Phillips, who all work ends. Both the Duke and Duchess openly admitted struggling with the pressures of royal life in a candid TV interview last year. In the ITV documentary filmed during their trip to Southern Africa, they spoke about the pressures they have been facing as well as family rifts.
The couple said in their statement: ‘After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
‘We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.’
Photo Credit: Getty
