Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to no longer use HRH titles
Update (January 18): Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use their HRH titles, following their decision earlier this month to step away from their royal duties to live a more private life.
Buckingham Palace has announced that from this spring, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not use public funds for any royal engagements and will no longer formally represent The Queen.
The couple will also repay £2.4 million of taxpayer money spent on renovating their Berkshire home, which will remain their UK base while they spend the majority of their time in North America.
The Queen said in a statement: "Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family."
Original (January 8): Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made an announcement that's set to shake the Royal Family to its core.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a joint statement on Wednesday (January 8) that revealed they are planning to step away from royal duties to live a more private life, based in both North America and the UK.
Their statement read: "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."
The statement continued: "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."
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST
Buckingham Palace has said (via Sky News) 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's announcement is sure to fuel much speculation about personal relationships within the royal family — though fans of Netflix's The Crown could be waiting quite a while to see it dramatised on screen, if at all.
"To be honest, whatever the life of The Crown is after where we are now, I doubt we'll ever go as far into the present day," Suzanne Mackie, creative director of Left Bank Pictures, which makes the show, told PA (via the BBC).
And creator Peter Morgan previously said that the show is unlikely to include Harry and Meghan's story.
"I feel uncomfortable writing about events within a certain time period, he previously told Entertainment Weekly. "I think there's a certain amount of time within which, if you write about it, what you do instantly becomes journalistic. Because it’s too close to the moment."
Prince Harry and former Suits star Meghan tied the knot in front of over 600 guests at St George's Chapel in May 2018, with the pair confirming they were expecting their first child just five months later.
Related: ITV responds after This Morning's Eamonn Holmes race complaint over Meghan Markle comment
Buckingham Palace announced the arrival of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019.
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