Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced plans to change their roles within the Royal family; and spend more time in North America.
In a statement released on Wednesday, January 8; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said that after many months of reflection and “internal discussions”; they have “chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
They added that they will “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent; while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.
“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.”
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The geographic split “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.”
The couple had a tumultuous year in 2019 and said last fall that they planned to take a break from Royal duties.
After announcing the birth of their son Archie in May, they ran into a string of controversy and launched lawsuits against three British tabloids over their coverage of Ms Markle and her family.
By the end of 2019, the couple talked about their struggles with the media limelight; and Prince Harry confirmed a rift with his brother, Prince William the Duke of Cambridge.
They took a six-week break from Royal duties in November and spent part of the Christmas holidays in Canada at a luxury mansion on Vancouver Island.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has publicly contradicted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they announced they were quitting front-line royal duties, saying the family’s plans were not finalised.
In a new public statement, the Palace said discussions on the issue remained “at an early stage”.
A spokesperson added: “We understand their desire to take a different approach; but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.’’
It is understood that the Queen and the Prince of Wales; were not aware of the content of Harry and Meghan’s bombshell personal statement before it was issued.
