Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, are officially ‘stepping back’ as senior members of the royal family.
The couple broke the shocking news via a statement on their Sussex Royal Instagram page on Wednesday, December 8, 2020, where they cited ‘ family priority’ and ‘financial independence’ as the determining factor in their decision to step back.
Though Prince Harry and Meghan did affirm that they will continue to honour their duty to The Queen and other royals of the kingdom, the couple also revealed that they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.
The statement in full reads:
“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.
We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
According to reports in the British media, senior royals are understood to be “disappointed” and “hurt” by the statement because they weren’t informed or consulted prior to the announcement on the social media pages of the Sussex royal.
Even though the Duke and Duchess noted family and the need for financial independence as the determining factor in their decision, reports suggest that the biggest influential factor was, in fact, the couple struggles towards the spotlight, particularly the negative press attitude towards Megan, which is one of many parts of the job they simply could not stand.
Reports in the British media also suggest that Harry and Megan’s withdrawal is just the initial start of a process that will eventually end in the total abandonment of their royal obligations.
A frontline royal walking off from duty is astonishing, momentous and has no precedent in modern time. And it has caused Buckingham Palace to act swiftly by releasing a statement on their official website, saying discussions about the couple’s future are “at an early stage” and “complicated.”
“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,” the statement reads.
Below are some of the reactions from Harry and Megan decision to step back from their royal duties:
Photo Credit: Instagram
