Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that they were taking a "step back" from the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote that they intended to "fully support Her Majesty The Queen" in their announcement, but correspondence from the Queen indicates she may not have been aware that the pair were going to make a statement to the public on Wednesday.
A statement from the royal communications office obtained by Insider said: "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 BBC is reporting that the royal family was not told Harry and Markle were going to make this announcement Wednesday, as reported by Jonny Dymond, the BBC's royal correspondent, on Twitter.
—Jonny Dymond (@JonnyDymond) January 8, 2020
—Jonny Dymond (@JonnyDymond) January 8, 2020
Dymond reports that members of the royal family were "disappointed" and "hurt" by the duke and duchess' decision, again saying they were not consulted before the announcement was posted on social media.
But on Thursday, news surfaced that the Queen was in fact aware of the duke and duchess' intention to distance themselves from the royal family. She reportedly asked her grandson not to announce that he and Meghan Markle would "step back" from royal life, meaning Harry directly defied her with his Instagram post, according to CNN.
Observers had speculated in recent months that Harry and Markle's tension with the rest of the royal family had been building.
During the holidays, the duke and duchess spent time in Canada rather than going to Sandringham with the rest of the royal family. There was also concern that the Queen was going to leave them out of her annual Christmas broadcast, though her majesty included a photo of Markle and Harry on-screen when the special aired.
In addition, Prince Harry recently seemed to confirm a rift between him and his brother. And while Prince William and Kate Middleton included footage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their "Year in Review" video, it never showed the princes together.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex now plan to split their time between the UK and North America in this new phase of their life while becoming financially independent from the royal family.
You can read the full Instagram post from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex below:
"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."
- Read more:
- The Queen appears to have left out Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Archie from her Christmas broadcast
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke 6 royal traditions on their first Christmas without the royal family
- Prince Harry appeared to confirm rumors of a rift between him and Prince William. 'We're certainly on different paths at the moment.'
- How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's baby boy has shifted the line of succession
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