Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the current Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced that they are quitting the Royal Family.
The couple posted a statement on Instagram saying that they “intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.”
They then revealed that they would be dividing their time between the U.K. and North America.
“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,” the statement begins.
“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 news may not be a come as a huge surprise to some, as Meghan has been treated poorly by the U.K. media, and more kindly by the majority of the U.S. media.