A major announcement from The Duke and Duchess of Sussex was made today. The royals said they intend to take a step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and to become financially independent.
In their personally-written statement, which came via the @sussexroyal Instagram account, Harry and Meghan said: “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.”
The couple added that they 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.”
Not long after Harry and Meghan’s announcement was posted, Buckingham Palace issued its own statement that read: “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.”
In an ITV documentary that aired in late 2019, the royal couple opened up about the considerable amount of stress that came from the intense media scrutiny they faced as senior royals.
Harry told ITV’s Tom Bradby that the pressure that comes with being in the spotlight as a member of the royal family takes him back to his mother’s tragic fate.
“I think being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back, so in that respect it’s the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best,” he said.
Harry also said that he “would not be bullied into a game that was responsible for killing my mother.”
In “Harry and Meghan: An African Journey”, the duchess spoke of the struggles she faced as a new mom in the public eye. She appeared almost tearful when telling Bradby that not many people had asked if she was okay and described the last year as being “hard.”
No official word yet on precisely where in North America the Duke and Duchess will base themselves. Though Canada could be the very likely choice as the couple has made no secret of their love of the country. They just returned to the UK this week after a six-week holiday break in Canada with their eight-month-old son, Archie, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
Canada was also home to Meghan for seven years while she starred on the television drama “Suits.” In 2017, Harry held his Invictus Games for wounded soldiers in Toronto, which is also where he and Meghan made their first public appearance as a couple.
The Sussexes resumed their royal duties on Tuesday with a visit to Canada House, the Canadian embassy in London’s Trafalgar Square. They met with High Commissioner to Canada, Janice Charette, and commission staff to thank them for the warm support and hospitality they received during their stay in the country.
Read Harry and Meghan’s full statement at the link below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EaGS_Jpb9/
Related: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Talk Challenging Year In New Documentary
