Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reached an agreement with the Queen about their new royal roles.
In a statement on Jan. 18, Queen Elizabeth announced that the family has “found a constructive and supportive way forward” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their 8-month-old son, Archie, after “many months of conversations and more recent discussions.”
The monarch acknowledged the “intense scrutiny” the couple has faced and shared support for “their wish for a more independent life,” adding that she is “particularly proud” of how “quickly” Meghan “became one of the family.”
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“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” the Queen shared.
An additional statement from Buckingham Palace confirmed that a “new model” will start in the spring, requiring the Sussexes to “step back from royal duties” and stop using their HRH titles since they “are no longer working members of the royal family.”
Though Harry and Meghan won’t “formally represent” the Queen or receive public funds for royal duties, they will “continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty” and intend to repay the cost of remodeling Frogmore Cottage, “which will remain their UK family home,” the palace confirmed.
The Queen has also given the pair her blessing to “continue to maintain their private patronages and associations” and thanked them for “all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond.”
The news comes 10 days after Harry and Meghan shocked fans with an Instagram post expressing their plans to “step back as senior members of the royal family” and “carve out a progressive new role” while working towards becoming “financially independent.”
On Saturday, they reposted the Queen’s new statement on their official Sussex Royal Instagram page.
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