Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Announce Upcoming Move to North America on Instagram
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their official decision to move to North America on Instagram Wednesday.
The caption began by noting that the difficult decision came about after "many months of reflection and internal discussions."
It went on to state, "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."
In the message, the Royal couple also explained that the move would allow more time to focus on their son and their new charity project.
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What else did the caption say?
The Instagram reveal also mentioned that the couple will not completely be leaving their royal duties behind.
"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," the caption reads.
In addition, they continuously mentioned their support and collaboration with The Queen and other figures like The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge.
Finally, they ended their message extending their thanks to the people and asking for "continued support" while the details get worked out.
What does 'stepping back' as a Royal mean?
While a move to another country is a big decision for any couple, a move for a couple with royal duties has much larger implications.
Many British and American citizens alike are wondering if the couple is even allowed to "step back" from their duties.
However, they aren't the first ones in the family to ask The Queen for permission to step back from their position as Royal Family members.
Harry's uncle Prince Andrew also asked for the allowance last November after his connections to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed.
When this occurred late last year, "stepping back" for Prince Andrew meant relieving himself of his royal duties and appearances with the Royal Family.
However, it did not take away previous military titles he held or harm his succession spot to the throne.
Insta users mostly supported the decision.
When it came to the comment section on the Sussex Royal Instagram page, many fans supported the couple's decision to move to North America in favor of family safety and quality time.
One user wrote, "Good for them! He doesn't want what happened to his mother happening to his family and I completely respect that. Good luck."
Another followed up with, "To a decade of happiness for you both and your sweet baby boy."
However, not all Insta users were thrilled about the decision.
One blamed Meghan Markle for the decision, commenting "I knew she would be the ruin of poor Harry - ripped the guts out of his relationship with his brother."
However, Twitter had another thing to say.
Twitter users also seemed to side with the negative Instagram comments.
Many users again blamed Meghan Markle for the decision while others poked fun at the idea of the royal couple showing up for their shifts at McDonalds on their road to becoming "financially independent."
Other users attacked Prince Harry for not standing up to his wife, referring to him as the "definition of a beta male" and calling Meghan "a narcissist."
However, it's not likely fan responses will sway the former royal members' decisions. The true test will be waiting for The Queen's response.
