Duke, Duchess of Sussex to step away from being ‘senior members’ of Royal Family

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced they’ve decided to transition to a more private, independent life.

The couple made the announcement on their Instagram account saying, “...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.”

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“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

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

The royal couple said they will split time between the U.K. and North America, they said in the statement.

They added that the move to split time between Europe and North America will allow them to give their family a chance to focus but also allow them to give Archie “an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born,” NBC News reported.

They will also be starting a new charity in the new year, the couple announced.

Prince Harry and Meghan recently returned from a weekslong break from the royal spotlight. They returned to official duties, Tuesday, to thank Canada for hosting their time away, People magazine reported.

The couple has been vocal about the difficulty they’ve experienced while under the lens of the media, including appearing on a documentary for ITV, the BBC reported.

Meghan even took the step to sue a newspaper over the publishing of private letters in October, according to the BBC.

The BBC reported the other members of the Royal Family may have not been consulted about the decision made by Harry and Meghan.

BREAKING. BBC Understands that no other member of the Royal Family was consulted before Harry and Meghan issued their personal statement tonight, the Palace is understood to be ‘disappointed’.
— Jonny Dymond (@JonnyDymond) January 8, 2020

Harpers Bazaar reported Buckingham Palace said the discussions with the Duke and Duchess are at “an early stage.”

Harry and Meghan FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex smile during their visit to Canada House, in London. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan 'stepping back' as senior UK royals, will work to become financially independent, they announced Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AP)

Buckingham Palace have sent their own statement out, adding that discussions with the couple are at “an early stage.” pic.twitter.com/aCXyEMQuW8
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) January 8, 2020