Prince Harry and Meghan made the unexpected announcement to step back from their royal duties in January. Their plan was approved by Queen Elizabeth, but with some firm rules. They could not use their HRH titles any longer, the Sussex Royal name, and they could not receive any public funding.
At a speech he made at a dinner for supporters of Sentebale, Prince Harry said how difficult that was for them, but also very necessary. “The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option,” Prince Harry shared during the event.
“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.”
Now we wonder what life is going to be like for them.
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Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“They love being in Canada, but they are looking at houses in L.A. too. They’ll likely have houses in both places,” a source said.
Another source shared that Meghan doesn’t have any regrets about their decision. “Meghan has no regrets, and the sky’s the limit. She said [she and Harry] feel like a huge weight has been lifted.”
Then he added, “They’ve been spending quality time together as a family. Meghan has been cooking and making homemade baby food for Archie.”
“Everything pretty much revolves around Archie right now, and Meghan is getting back into shape. “They have a daily routine of doing yoga and taking long hikes.”
“She also felt like she couldn’t be the best mother to Archie if she wasn’t being her true, authentic self. Something she felt she couldn’t be in the royal family confines.”
“She said she didn’t want Archie picking up on her stress and anxiety. She felt like it was a toxic environment for him because there was too much tension and pent-up frustrations,” the insider shared.