Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced that they’re stepping down as senior royals and were said to have defied Queen Elizabeth II by going public.
The couple said they would now "balance" their time between Britain and North America and will “work to become financially independent.”
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year is 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
Media reports said the couple made their shock statement -- released on their own website, Instagram account and through Buckingham Palace's email communications system -- without notifying either Harry's grandmother, the monarch, or father, the heir to the throne Prince Charles.
In a short, terse response a little while later, a palace statement said discussions with Harry and Meghan were "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," the palace said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are not the first nor only royals to have abdicated the throne, In 1936, Edward VIII was a popular member of the British royal family and heir to the throne, however, because his marriage to Simpson, an American divorcée, was forbidden, Edward abdicated the throne after ruling for less than a year.
More recently, Prince Andrew was pushed into the palace shadows because of his startling connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In general, however, royals either get on with it or quietly slip away.
