The Queen releases new statement about Prince Harry and Meghan's future

The Queen has released a new statement regarding her grandson Prince Harry's wish to step down as a 'senior Royal'. He and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced plans last week to split their time between the UK and Canada - a decision which has been met with a lot of speculation, leaving many of us to wonder what will happen now.

Although Buckingham Palace put out a statement shortly after Prince Harry's, The Queen has now released a new one, which details the outcome of the 'crisis talks' the family had yesterday (13th January) following Prince Harry and Prince William's joint statement denying a 'rift'.

It reads, 'Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.

'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.'

Scroll through to see the best moments from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding...

Harry and Meghan's original statement was released on Wednesday 8th January on their Instagram profile, reading, '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.'

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• Prince Harry
• Meghan Markle