Queen Elizabeth has announced that she will allow Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to step down as senior members of the Royal Family, enabling them to create a new life as a young family.
While the British monarch expressed a preference for the couple to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, she nonetheless stated that she respects and understands their desire to live a more independent life.
The statement, released after a meeting at Sandringham between the Queen, Princes Charles and William, and Meghan calling in from Canada, 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.’
The statement revealed that Queen Elizabeth broke protocol by referring to the couple by their first names instead of their royal titles, leading to speculation that they may be stripped of their HRH titles.
To navigate the Royal Family through the crisis, Her Majesty ordered courtiers to develop a blueprint for the future of the Sussexes.
It is unclear if Prince Charles’s Crown Estate will continue to fund Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s lifestyle, but the Queen’s statement acknowledged the couple’s ambition to become financially independent.