Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Announce New Details About Their Exit From Royal Family

*A day after reports claiming Queen Elizabeth II had banned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from using “royal” as their title, the couple has issued a statement about their future duties. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will formally step down as senior royals next month, and the agreement they reached between the Queen in January will go into effect starting March 31, PEOPLE reports. 

“The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America,” the spokesperson adds. “In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year.

“In general, the themes of their cause related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively.”

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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

Starting April 1, Harry and Meghan will be represented by their U.K. charity foundation team, as they will no longer hold an office at Buckingham Palace, the report states. 

Meanwhile, discussions are still  “ongoing” about whether or not they can use the word “royal.” They will retain the “HRH” title, but not actively use it.  

“As The Duke and Duchess are stepping back as senior Members of the Royal Family, and will work towards financial independence, use of the word ‘Royal’, in this context, needed to be reviewed. Discussions are still ongoing, however, a change will be announced alongside the launch of their new non-profit organization,” their spokesperson says.

The royal family will reportedly revisit the agreement after 12-months. 

“As there is no precedent for this new model of working and eventual financial independence, the Royal Family and The Sussexes have agreed to an initial 12-month review to ensure the arrangement works for all parties,” the spokesperson says.

The royal couple are expected to carry out several engagements in the U.K. over the next few months.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in the United Kingdom regularly,” the spokesperson said.

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