Buckingham Palace release statement after Prince Harry quits as senior royal
He and Meghan Markle released their own statement
Last updated 14th Jan 2020
Last night, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle - the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - released a statement announcing their decision to 'step back' from their roles as 'senior Royals'.
Sharing a photo of the couple from their engagement photoshoot, the caption read, '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.'
The statement continued, '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.'
However, Buckingham Palace shortly after responded with their own statement - and it's understood that they had no prior warning of Harry and Meghan's announcement. It 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.'
Prince Harry and Meghan began dating in June 2016, becoming engaged in November 2017. They got married in May 2018, and welcomed their son Archie in May 2019.