Prince William Honors Oman’s Late Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Amid Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Royal Drama

Prince William is honoring late Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said amid Britain’s royal drama.

In a statement, the Duke of Cambridge offered his condolences to the people of Oman following the death of their leader. His public message comes just days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to step back as “senior” members of the royal family and work to become financially independent.

“I was truly honoured to spend time with His Majesty during my visit to Oman last month,” Prince William wrote. “It was clear from all those I met that he will be remembered with great affection. His Majesty was unwavering in his commitment to improve the lives of his people and in his resolve to work towards regional stability. I am thankful for His Majesty’s many years of friendship with my family and the UK.”

WATCH: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Stepping Back As ‘Senior’ Members Of Royal Family

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The Duke of Cambridge has sent the following message to the people of Oman following the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said: I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. I was truly honoured to spend time with His Majesty during my visit to Oman last month. It was clear from all those I met that he will be remembered with great affection. His Majesty was unwavering in his commitment to improve the lives of his people, and in his resolve to work towards regional stability. I am thankful for His Majesty’s many years of friendship with my family and the UK. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Omani people, and wish to send a personal message of friendship as Oman mourns the death of His Majesty.

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Jan 11, 2020 at 11:04am PST

Meanwhile, Prince William has yet to publicly address the latest development from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on social media. Kensington Palace, instead, shared a special post in honor of Kate Middleton’s 38th birthday on Jan. 9. It read, “Thank you everyone for all your lovely messages on the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday!”

Harry and Meghan made headlines around the globe following their statement, which also revealed that they intend to balance time between the United Kingdom and North America. They wrote, “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.”

WATCH: 7 Ways Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Broken Royal Tradition

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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

Shortly after, Queen Elizabeth’s office released a statement, saying, “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”

— Gabi Duncan