Last week, fans of the British Royal Family and spectators from around the world were shaken by the announcement that Harry and Meghan decided to step down as senior members of the Family. Find out more about their decision and what it means for the Royals right now!
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1. The announcement
On Wednesday 8, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle published an Instagram post where they announced that they have decided to step down as senior members of the Royal Family and instead plan to carve a new, progressive role for themselves within the institution.
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Harry and Meghan revealed that the decision wasn’t an easy one, but they are prepared to work to make it happen. The couple announced that they intend to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America to honour their duty to the Queen, their other commitments, and their son Archie, who will be brought up in the spirit of the royal tradition after being born into the Royal Family.
Needless to say, the announcement was a bombshell and the only thing people on social media, TV, and news sites talked about last week. At that moment, it was unclear what Harry and Meghan’s announcement would entail, but since then, a few more details have emerged.
“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. 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.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA
1.7m Likes, 152.4k Comments – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Instagram: “”After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this…”
2. The reasons
At the time of the announcement, no official reason has been given for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s intended separation from the Royal Family. In fact, the couple has not yet elaborated on their reasoning behind the decision. However, those who closely follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, know that being part of the Family hasn’t been easy for Meghan.
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Since the time she was officially announced as Harry’s girlfriend in 2016, Meghan has been subjected to a lot of scrutiny from the British press. The pressure has only become worse as Harry and Meghan got married in 2018 and had their first baby, Archie in 2019.
Meghan did not hide her disappointment in the way she is treated by the tabloids. Last year, in the documentary about the couple’s trip to South Africa, Meghan talked at length about her negative experience. So we can rightfully assume that public scrutiny was a major reason for Meghan and Harry to part ways with the institution.
However, Tom Bradby, Harry’s friend and the author of the documentary, shed a different light on the couple’s decision. He said that the announcement was the result of numerous personal splits and conflicts of Harry and Meghan with the rest of the Royal Family, which shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has closely followed the Royals for the past several years.
3. The aftermath
The decision to leave their positions as senior members of the Royal Family certainly could not go unnoticed, and the first backlash happened only a day after the announcement when the official Twitter account of the Buckingham Palace said that the discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage and will need more work before the couple can actually part ways with the Family.
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Plus, it is unclear how Harry and Meghan will support themselves financially. As members of the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan are prohibited to make their own income, but after stepping down as senior members of the Family, they will no longer be funded by the British public and will have to rely on other sources of income.
Currently, Prince Harry is believed to be in negotiations with Prince Charles, Prince William, and other senior members of the family to outline the couple’s exit and other arrangements that concern the announcement. There are no doubts we will hear more about this story in the nearest future.
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