Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle will step back as senior membersof the Royal Family and spend more time in North America.
The surprising news comes after a difficult year in which the monarchy reveals that the pair have fought more and more against the stresses of royal life and family rifts.
“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,” they said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
“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,” they added.
The decision they made was dramatic without the knowledge of the queen, Prince Charles or Prince William, who heard about the news on the TV channels.
Another royal source said: ‘It’s deeply unfair to the Queen who doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. It is a shoddy way to treat her. The family understands that they want to do something different and is perfectly willing to help them. People are just devastated.’
