Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle of Sussex have announced their intention to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and to work to become financially independent.
The couple said this in an announcement issued by Buckingham Palace after they just returned from a six-week break in Canada.
In the statement, the couple stated that they are stepping down from their senior royal roles and plan to split their time between North America and the United Kingdom, while they continue to fully support Her Majesty, The Queen.
The announcement further stated that;
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.
The couple, who have once openly admitted to struggling with the pressures of royal life in a television interview last year, also said the move will allow them to raise their eight-month-old son Archie away from the spotlight.
The statement which was posted on the official handle of Sussex on a photo sharing social platform, Instagram, further says;
However, according to another palace announcement by the press spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth II stated that,
Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are 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 couple expressed in the statement that the the Sussex announcement was encouraged by their many supporters in Britain saying;
It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
It is speculated that the American-born Meghan, 38, who has close family and friends in California and Canada, also encouraged them to make this decision, in order to stay in touch with her friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic.
Harry, 35, and Meghan who just returned to Britain have been faced with series of media scrutiny since their wedding in 2018 and their recent 6-weeks vacation was triggered by the continuous media coverage and widespread mocking them in the media for the use of private planes while campaigning against climate change.
Both had publicly expressed, in media interviews, their unhappiness about the unending media scrutiny. The couple both filed lawsuits against major newspapers complaining about copyright violations and hacking.
