Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to step back from the royal family

By Saige Miller on January 9, 2020

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 19: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex depart after their wedding ceremonyat St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle announced on Instagram that they’re stepping away as senior members of the royal family. Don’t worry! The lovely couple isn’t vanishing, they’re just rearranging their priorities.

“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,” the royal couple said.

But, why? Doesn’t the life of a prince and princess sound like a dream? The Princess Diaries totally made it seem like that.

via GIPHY

The couple stated it wasn’t an easy decision. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year,” and they’re hoping to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”

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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

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also mentioned wanting to be financially independent moving forward. They decided they’re going to call two continents home.

“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,” they wrote on Instagram.

The royal couple ended the post by giving thanks and appreciation.

Best of luck on their new adventure!