Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to step back as senior royals

Harry and Meghan last night ‘pressed the nuclear button’ on their royal careers by announcing they are quitting their frontline roles.

Their dramatic decision was taken without the knowledge of the Queen, Prince Charles or Prince William, who learnt about the announcement as it broke on television news channels.

The couple, who plan to split their time between Britain and North America, made the bombshell announcement just days after returning from a six-week break in Canada.

A senior royal source said the Queen and her family were ‘deeply disappointed’. Another said the royals were ‘shocked, saddened and downright furious’ at the couple.

In a terse statement, Buckingham Palace said: ‘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 though.’

Well-placed sources made clear that the shock announcement was a personal statement and ‘members of the family were not consulted on the contents’.

One exasperated aide said: ‘People had bent over backwards for them. They were given the wedding they wanted, the house they wanted, the office they wanted, the money they wanted, the staff they wanted, the tours they wanted and had the backing of their family. What more did they want?’

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.’

The Mail has been told the couple ‘secretly plotted’ their decision during their stay in Canada, even conspiring to create a new website independent of the Royal Family and ready to launch it when they returned. This was without the knowledge of their own loyal UK-based press team.

‘The level of deceit has been staggering and everyone from the top of the royal household to the bottom feels like they have been stabbed in the back,’ one source said.

It also emerged last night that:

• Harry and Meghan want to be ‘financially independent’ and plan to earn their own income, which they say they are currently prevented from doing;

• They will give up their right to money from the sovereign grant, but could still take money from Prince Charles;

• They will retain their home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor as a UK base;

• They will also keep their police protection – funded by the taxpayer – and have offered to carry out a vastly reduced number of royal duties in Britain and elsewhere in the Commonwealth.

In their extraordinary statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to ‘carve out a progressive new role’ and ‘step back as “senior” members of the Royal Family’.

They said they wanted to balance their time between the UK and North America, ‘continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages’.

The Mail understands that the couple raised their desire to seek out a new life a week ago and family members agreed to work with them in making it possible. 

But hours after they had visited the Canadian High Commission in London to thank them for their recent hospitality, the pair decided to go public with their decision – pressing the nuclear button, as one source described it.

Negotiations are at such an early stage that the couple still have no idea where they are going to live in North America, although Canada is clearly the favoured option.

Harry and Meghan have, in the words of one aide, ‘no clue’ as to how they will become financially independent – although for the moment are insisting they will continue to take money from the Queen and the Prince of Wales to fund their official work.

Royals who have tried to go down this route include the Earl and Countess of Wessex, who were forced to give up their television production and PR careers after a series of scandals.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who famously said they would go anywhere for a hot meal, and the Duchess of York, who made a string of disastrous business deals that led her to bankruptcy, have learned to their cost that it can be perilous balancing their privileged royal status with business matters.

Harry and Meghan have made no mention of giving up their royal titles or status and insist they will keep Frogmore Cottage, the home that was done up for them with £2.4million of public money. They will also keep their state-funded Metropolitan Police protection officers.

‘It’s a masterclass in wanting to have your cake and eat it,’ one royal insider raged. ‘Even their own staff cautioned against them making this public until they actually sat down and discussed it with the family properly.

‘But they are in this weird bubble and have this strange siege mentality. They feel like it’s them against the world and are painting a very unfair picture of how this is a family that supposedly doesn’t understand or support them, which is complete and utter rubbish.’

Another source said: ‘The family is perfectly willing to help them but this was a discussion better had discreetly and quietly. Why on earth they have put it out in the public domain is a decision only they can justify.

‘They have no idea where they are going to live, have no idea how they are going to make their money.

‘The feeling is one of deep disappointment that they have chosen to do this unilaterally and without prior warning or consultation. And no one believes it will actually help them to have these kind of conversations and discussions in public.

‘People understand they want to get things moving and there remains a desire to help them get this right but you do not turn 1,000 years of British royal history on its head in eight days.

‘They have got to start working with people. It’s hugely unfair to paint out that this is a fusty old institution that doesn’t want to help them. People have been bending over backwards looking at different ways of doing things.

‘But they have made clear they still want to be paid by the public purse for their work and they have to accept that things need to be thought through carefully.’ 

After their seismic falling out with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, followed by the decision to split their joint royal household, Harry and Meghan have battled to find their natural home within the Royal Family.

Sources say Harry told his grandmother more than a year ago that he and Meghan wanted to set up their own ‘court’ independent of Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, while retaining funding from them.

The prince was firmly told that this outcome would not be possible and that no one was ‘bigger’ – or more important – than the Queen.

The couple sullenly agreed to set up their new ‘Sussex Royal’ household under the Buckingham Palace umbrella, but have long been branded by insiders as ‘awkward and childish’ for refusing to work harmoniously alongside other members of the Royal Family. ‘The writing was on the wall a long time ago,’ said one source with knowledge of the situation last night.

The couple’s move follows weeks of speculation about their future after they took an extended break from royal duties over the festive period that followed an emotional appearance in a documentary.

In the ITV programme they spoke about the pressures they have been facing and family rifts, and in a separate move Harry issued a damning statement against the media accusing sections of the press of bullying his wife.  

Harry and Meghan have only recently returned from their six-week break spent in the Canadian province of British Columbia with their eight-month-old son Archie.

Their first royal engagement of the new decade was to visit Canada’s High Commission in central London to thank Canadians in person for the warmth of the welcome they received.

It is likely they will be spending their time in the Commonwealth country when not in UK and may travel to America, Meghan’s homeland and where her mother lives.

Any move to Canada, even for a period of the year, would throw up important questions about Meghan and Harry’s long-term future within the royal family.

Meghan, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together when Meghan joined her then-boyfriend Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in the city.

The cost of security for the couple would also be an issue, and as Canada is a realm, a country where the Queen is head of state, it may have to pay for keeping the couple and their son Archie safe.

The couple’s aim to be ‘financially independent’ may point towards them seeking a job, or a paid role with an organisation whose aims compliment their own beliefs.

Other members of the monarchy who have salaried jobs include the Queen’s grandchildren Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Peter Phillips, who all work for a living.

But the lows included rows over privacy, rifts with relatives, the launch of legal action and an attack on the press which overshadowed an official royal tour.

Even the Queen in her Christmas Day address spoke of the ‘bumpy’ path her family and the nation had experienced.

Harry and Meghan’s statement announcing their decision soon after their return from a six-week break in Canada refers to their ‘many months of reflection and internal discussions’.     

WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG: That glorious wedding captivated the world – but from the festering debacle over Meghan’s father to the fracturing of the Fab Four, the facade soon began to crumble, as revealed by the Mail’s peerless RICHARD KAY

Not even 20 months have passed since that magical day when they stood on the steps of St George’s Chapel at Windsor and, with a kiss, enchanted a global audience of millions.

The wedding of Harry and Meghan was a love letter from Britain to the world, from the blue skies over a fairytale castle to the gospel choir and a carriage drive through streets thronged with cheering admirers.

This was a moment to savour, the grandson of the Queen marrying a mixed heritage young woman descended from slaves. But it was also about the fulfilment of a nation’s dreams for a prince, who was fixed in the collective national memory as a 12-year-old following his mother’s coffin.

Tragically, the shared happiness was misplaced. Harry and Meghan were not just a couple who wanted to embrace both modernity and tradition; they were bent on re-writing the rule book of what being a member of the Royal Family actually means.

We should perhaps have realised; after all, the manner in which the duchess’s father was ruthlessly excluded from the ceremony went beyond mere discourtesy.

At the time, the failure of Thomas Markle to give his daughter away was blamed squarely on his own foolishness.

Nor was much made of the absence of many of Harry’s oldest friends, the mates who had stuck by him through thick and thin. In their place came a new set of chums, megawatt celebrities who had not been around when he was at his lowest ebb, but who would add a glamorous touch of stardust to proceedings.

The tragedy of Harry and Meghan is that they could have been life-long royal heroes. The Prince himself was already much loved, second only to the Queen in popularity.

From seeing action on the front line in Afghanistan not once but twice, and from which he had emerged unscathed, Harry had won over those sceptical about his party prince reputation.

After the Army, affection for him soared following his triumphant visit to the Caribbean, where he posed with another superstar, the Olympic athlete Usain Bolt.

If elder brother William represented the dutiful if dull side of royalty, Harry was the fun side. He was open and amusing, taking everything in his stride. All he needed was to find the love of a good woman and his happiness — and ours — would be complete.

His romantic path had been strewn if not with broken hearts then certainly with trepidation. Before Meghan, he had wooed and lost two other beauties — Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas —who valued a life out of the limelight, rather than marriage and the goldfish bowl of royal attention.

In Meghan he found a soulmate who had at least experienced life in the spotlight. This, they both hoped, would provide an understanding for their future together.

But if anything this understanding has served to drive them apart from the very institution they say they want to support. It has led to William and Harry, once the closest of brothers, being alienated from one another, and to a series of ill-judged interventions that have provoked bafflement and, yes, even resentment.

Their preaching to ordinary people about how they should lead their lives — particularly about climate change — and what has come to be seen as a drip, drip, drip of complaints about how they are treated, has led to a real disconnect. Who would have thought that in recent times the mere mention of Harry and Meghan’s names at Buckingham Palace would lead some of the Queen’s most loyal courtiers to wrinkle their noses and pull a face.

The rot set in even before the glow of that May wedding day had passed. Shortly after returning from honeymoon, Meghan was asked by a younger member of the family how it had gone and, more to the point, where they had gone. ‘We’re not telling anyone,’ the new Duchess of Sussex smiled. Was this merely a symptom of someone still adjusting to royal life, or someone who was not about to make any compromises about their privacy?

It was not long before the Markle debacle over Meghan’s father was again rearing its head. A sweet but naïve figure, Thomas Markle did not help himself with his sudden fascination for giving interviews about his famous daughter.

But here was a man of limited resources suddenly thrust onto a global stage, unsure of protocol and stumbling from one misadventure to another.

Sympathy, at first, was with his daughter, but questions were soon asked about her and Harry’s duty of care towards him. In fact, the seeds of this family fall-out which, I believe, has shaped the way Harry and Meghan are now, were sown through their own casual ineptness.

They should never have allowed Markle to fall into the clutches of the paparazzi with his admittedly crass stunted pictures before the wedding. Why did no one from Harry’s office — or indeed Prince Charles’s — fly to Mexico, where the retired lighting director lived in genteel if reduced circumstances?

He should have been flown to Britain, housed in any number of royal residences, dressed and presented to the world on his daughter’s wedding day.

This lack of care inevitably led to another unseemly domestic outcome — the behaviour of Meghan’s extended family. As unattractive as they undoubtedly were, there was no doubt they had a point when they railed about the duchess’s treatment of her divorced father. Certainly it compared unfavourably with the kidgloves handling of Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who played a prominent part in her daughter’s wedding.

Even so, many were prepared to cut Meghan some slack, pointing out how hard many young women — particularly Harry’s mother, Diana, had found royal life.

But revelations about the duchess’s apparently high-handed manner were causing unease. It emerged that there had been a row between Harry and one of the Queen’s closest aides over the tiara the duchess wanted to wear at her wedding. Several tiaras had been considered, but the Queen did not want to lend the one Meghan preferred. Words were exchanged and Harry backed down.

Meanwhile, it emerged that Meghan had complained about the mustiness of St George’s chapel and wanted it sprayed with air freshener before the ceremony. This was a young woman who was clearly not going to accept her position quietly.

There was further trouble over the bridesmaids’ dresses, which was an early sign of the great tensions to come. It was reported that Meghan had reduced Kate, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, to tears, because of her manner. Weddings, of course, often lead to domestic tensions but are usually forgotten afterwards. With Harry and Meghan, they just increased.

Meghan’s decision to hold an extravagant baby shower in New York didn’t just shock people, it offended them, too. What possible justification could there be for the private jets — no matter who picked up the bill — as well as luxury hotels, lavish parties and expensive baby gifts?

It was the kind of look associated with the Kardashians, not the Windsors. Then came the biggest shock of all — the secrecy over the birth of baby Archie. Here, not just tradition but common sense was upended. They announced there would be no bulletins on when or where the baby would be born, no traditional photograph and they even declined to say who was in charge of delivery.

This didn’t just upset royal fans but the Royal Family, too. For generations, the births of those close to the throne have been proclaimed on a notice placed just inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. It always includes the names of the doctors in attendance.

Harry and Meghan simply ignored protocol and did it their way. While touching it undoubtedly was as Harry spoke of his pride and joy, the moment was riven with controversy. As for the birth, they cackhandedly arranged for a statement saying Meghan had gone into labour to be issued after the baby had actually been born.

But the real insult came when baby Archie’s christening was shrouded in secrecy. The couple refused to say who the godparents were, and when photographs did appear the infant’s face was largely obscured.

Some may see this as unnecessary carping about a couple who want to ensure their son is not brought up in the royal way, but has the privacy that was denied Harry and William as they grew up. Others suggest that all they were really doing was weaponising their family in their battles for privacy.

Meanwhile, the ‘fab four’, as the royal brothers and their wives had been dubbed, was no more. Harry and Meghan moved to Windsor, separated his office from William’s and split from their highly successful charity, the Royal Foundation .

This was not just a change in direction but a unilateral declaration of independence. Nothing illustrated this more than their decision to give an interview to ITV while on a royal tour of southern Africa last autumn. It was a mistake of historic proportions. Standing against a backdrop of some of the most deprived regions on earth, they complained to the camera about their lot.

At the same time Harry’s comments triggered another wave of disbelief. Questioned about his relationship with William he confirmed what until then had been mere tittle tattle: that the once whisper-close brothers had fallen out. How much this domestic heartache is at the centre of the Sussexes’s bombshell is not yet clear. But the repercussion are going to echo for a long time to come. 

How will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in Canada? Couple could lose £2m from Royal purse each year – but British taxpayers face picking up ‘£600,000 annual security bill’ 

By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter for MailOnline and Ed Riley for MailOnline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could lose £2 million-a-year from the Royal purse after they announced they would be ‘stepping back’ from being senior members of the royal family.

Despite the couple having announced they would be splitting their time between North America and the UK, British tax payers could still be picking up a £600,000 annual security bill for the pair and their son baby Archie.

The couple recently returned from a six-week break in Canada over the festive period, where they spent their first Christmas together as a family at a £10.7million home in Vancouver Island.

Just last night it was revealed that the couple had started discussing their plans with senior royals — expected to include the Queen and Prince Charles, but the Palace told MailOnline that they would not comment on ‘speculation.’ 

This evening the couple took to Instagram where they shared the announcement, along with a picture of the pair smiling. 

They snubbed a royal Christmas at Sandringham just days after Prince Philip was taken to hospital, and instead spent time with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland at the luxury retreat.  

ITV News at Ten host Tom Bradby, close friends with the couple, told Good Morning Britain today that it was ‘no big secret’ that they have been considering what their future roles within the royal family will be. 

The move – dismissed as ‘speculation’ by the Palace – comes after a tough year for the couple, with royal insiders saying they felt sidelined by the monarchy, as they launched attacks on the British press and faced criticism over their use of private jets.

They first sparked claims they could be about to step out of the spotlight when they revealed to Bradby in an ITV documentary that they are struggling with the intense media scrutiny they face on a daily basis. 

But if they did move to Canada, how will it work? Will the British taxpayer continue to fund their lifestyle, who picks up the bill for security, and would they step back from their royal duties altogether?

Here MailOnline looks at the move abroad and what it means to Canada, the UK and the royal family itself.

If they move to Canada, where will they live – and how much is it likely to cost?

Harry and Meghan would naturally be drawn to Toronto, the city where they enjoyed a secret courtship of five months before their relationship was revealed to the world in October 2016.

Meghan, who was born and raised in California, considered it her home town after filming seven series of Suits there and openly says Canada is her ‘second home’ after Britain. 

The couple recently spent more than £2.4million of taxpayers’ money refurbishing their Frogmore Cottage home – and buying a property of a similar standard in a Canadian city would cost significantly more.

Frogmore House was a gift from the Queen – but any Canadian home would likely be paid from their own pocket. 

Harry first met her in May 2016 when he was in Toronto to promote his Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and met the divorcee actress, who had split with her chef boyfriend of two years, Cory Vitiello. 

While he was there blind date after being set up by a female friend, believed to be fashion designer Mischa Nonoo, and they ‘met for a drink’ in a Toronto bar.

They then spent the rest of 2016 meeting almost every fortnight, with Harry secretly flying to see her as she couldn’t leave the city because of her Suits commitments.   They were holed up together in her flat with her dog Bogart and lived, largely, like a royal couple.

Describing their relationship, Harry has said: ‘I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly… All the stars were aligned – everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life – I fell into her life.’

But there decision to head to Vancouver, rather than Toronto, for Christmas as a family could also be telling. Harry, Meghan and baby Archie enjoyed all the luxuries on offer at a £10.7million waterfront mansion in one of the most idyllic spots on Vancouver Island – and are even believed to have taken their two dogs over with them, too. 

They were also seen out hiking locally with friends, including actress Abigail Spencer, a friend of former actress Meghan’s from her days on the television drama Suits, with Meghan even offering to take a picture for one stunned couple they met who were struggling with their selfie stick.

They also posted a picture on Instagram of a delighted Harry holding his son, Archie, taken during their holiday to the delight of fans on New Year’s Eve.

Vancouver also has a high ‘hipster’ and in 2018 Goop, the controversial lifestyle brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, held its annual ‘wellness summit’ in the city with meditation sessions, workouts, and yoga classes, a pursuit loved by Meghan.

Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada for cost of living – and the luxury they are used in the United States will cost them millions of pounds. Toronto is the second most expensive.

Will they keep security? If so who will pay?

Harry, Meghan and Archie are understood to have up to six permanent Metropolitan Police bodyguards, funded by the taxpayer.

The officers are estimated to earn more than £100,000 a year including overtime. 

But when Harry was visiting Meghan in the early stages of their relationship, the security officers seen with him outside her apartment were thought to be Canadian, and therefore funded by Canadian taxpayers. 

Whoever pays, the Sussexes would require police protection for the rest of their lives. 

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that a move abroad would be a ‘huge undertaking’ and the security costs would be vast.

He said: ‘The speculation that they could withdraw from public life has been going for some time.

‘It was given even more substance by that unwise documentary they gave where they spoke about the pressures they felt in the royal family. 

‘But Harry has a duty to the Queen. 

‘Moving abroad is a huge undertaking, they will have to find a location that wants you, the security costs would be vast and impossible to estimate.’    

How would the Duke and Duchess survive financially and will Harry keep his allowances if the leave the country but remains part of the royal family?

It would be an unprecedented moment – but it is unlikely the Queen, or his father Prince Charles, would cut off Harry and his wife if they chose to move abroad.  

Her Majesty pays Harry and William jointly £5million from the £82million annual Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer, and handed to the most senior members of the royal family.

The £5million from their grandmother the Queen is not broken down between the royal siblings – but William is believed to get slightly more so Harry and his family probably receive around £2million from the Crown. 

The brothers also claim a further £3.16million a year in ‘non-official expenditure’ and is likely to be split in similar proportions.   

Another source of income for Prince Harry is his annual allowance from the profits generated his father’s £1.2billion Duchy of Cornwall estate. Charles paid £4.9million to his sons from that pot last year. 

Harry and Meghan also claim staffing costs, which are currently estimated at just under £1million a year.

They employ a private secretary, who can earn up to £146,000, and a nanny for Archie who would also command a six-figure salary. London ‘super nannies’ who work for the capital’s richest and most powerful families earn an average of £104,000, according to industry sources.  

At Frogmore Cottage they have a housekeeper – but no chef because Meghan loves cooking – two personal assistants and two palace orderlies probably earning between £20,000 and £30,000 each.   

The couple have significant personal wealth they could live on. Prince Harry’s net worth is estimated to be around £30 million. He inherited more than £20million from his late mother Princess Diana and around £7m from his great-grandmother the Queen Mother, who paid it into a trust fund him. Meghan has a net worth of around £4million herself, having earned £40,000 an episode on Suits. 

She also made £150,000 per film appearance and similar amounts from fashion collections modelling each year. Her ‘Tig’ lifestyle blog was worth £60,000 a year to her before she shut it down when she announced she was Harry’s girlfriend. And she is also believed to have a valuable property in Toronto.       

What if they quit as royals completely?

Harry and Meghan would lose millions from this decision – but could keep their titles if they choose.

Overnight the Sussexes would lose access to the the £8million given to him and William each year. Their £1million staffing bill would also be on them. 

When Edward VIII abdicated he still received millions a year from the Duchy of Cornwall estate and it would be unlikely that Charles would cut off his youngest son from this seven-figure income. 

Edward VIII gave up the throne because he wanted to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. 

He was king for 326 days before making a public radio broadcast where he said he wanted to abdicate so he could ‘marry the woman he loved.’

They would also keep their grace-and-favour Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, because it was a gift to them by the Queen.

However, they would be expected to pay for renovations and some of its upkeep and any more taxpayer-funded works would be banned. 

They would keep the royal protection officers who protect them 24/7  

Will they keep their titles?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be looking at relinquishing their royal titles as an ‘option’ as they consider their future. 

A move abroad would not necessarily mean they have to to ditch their HRH titles.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have already made the first step towards doing that after they decided they didn’t wants their son, Archie Mountbatten to have a royal title.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who were the line of succession equivalent to Archie, had titles from birth.

King Edward VIII, who abdicated from the royal family in 1936, did not lose his royal title and was made the Duke of Windsor.

Prince Philip had to give up his own royal title as Prince of Greece and Denmark, in order to be able to marry into the British royal family. 

If Harry did give up his title it would have an impact on  the line of succession. 

Currently it stands as Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, then Prince Harry, followed by Archie Mountbatten Windsor, then Prince Andrew.

Without Prince Harry, Andrew would move up two places, as Archie also moves out of the line of succession. 

Will they still work for the Queen and turn up to royal events? 

The couple would continue to work for the Queen and turn up at royal events if they moved abroad.

If they decided to relinquish their royal titles, then they would not be bound by royal protocol.

But if they continued their work as the Duke and Duchess they could in theory step back from the number of official visits they are required to go on.

But royal commentators say it is unlikely they would step back completely, as Harry still ‘has a duty’ to the Queen as her grandson.

Former communication secretary for the Queen Dickie Arbiter told MailOnline that he thought it is ‘highly unlilkely’ they will ever move abroad and withdraw from royal duties.

He said: ‘Harry is a senior member of the royal family, his duty is to the Queen.

‘It is highly unlikely they will move to Canada. They have been over there for six weeks over Christmas.

‘They have had quiet time, they have had getting to know you time, but Harry is a senior royal.

‘Harry is a senior member of the royal family, his duty is to the Queen.

‘They may go over there from time to time, but moving over their full time and withdrawing from his royal duties is just not an option at all.’ 

What impact would leaving Britain have on the royal family?

The Queen expects her family to do their ‘duty’ and would probably be asked for her blessing by Harry, who is close to his grandmother and is known to lean on her for advice. 

But in truth it is Harry’s father Charles who would most need to be convinced of the plan. 

The Prince of Wales is already moving closer to adopting a modern ‘Prince Regent’ role, which would see him control day-to-day royal affairs while his mother remains monarch.

He also wants a slimmed down royal family, costing the taxpayer less money, but sees Harry, Meghan and Archie firmly at the institution’s heart. 

Harry’s brother William is also taking an active role in royal decision making, and he and Charles both reportedly took the lead and urged the Queen to sack Prince Andrew from royal duties over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.  

The Duke of Cambridge said last year he was ‘worried’ about his brother after he talked about his mental health in a TV documentary and would be worried about the impact his brother leaving Britain would have on the royals.

But Harry and Meghan would promise to continue many of their key royal duties in the UK – and also argue they can boost the international profile of the Windsors from a foreign base, because a great deal of their charity work is already abroad, especially in Africa. 

Harry and Meghan’s Royal romance: From a star-studded wedding and the birth of Archie to a ‘rift’ with Prince William and controversy over their bid to ‘modernise’ the monarchy

By Chloe Morgan and Bridie Pearson-Jones for MailOnline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they will be stepping back as senior royals – after a whirlwind two years in the public eye.

The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, who made their first ever appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto on 25 September 2017, have squeezed in endless memorable moments in the time that has followed.  

Among their jam-packed schedule includes their official engagement announcement in November 2017, and the multi-cultural and US-influenced wedding that followed at Windsor Castle, on May 2018.

The star-studded day was filled with VIP guests and dominated by Hollywood stars including the Clooneys, the Beckhams, Idris Elba, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hardy and James Corden.  

Other highlights since their big day include Meghan’s lavish baby shower trip to New York, which is thought to have cost more than $500,000 (£380,000), Archie’s birth on 6 May 2019, and their 10-day tour of Africa as a family late last year. 

Here, FEMAIL looks back at the Duke and Duchess’ engagements since the first moment they stepped into the public eye together. 

FIRST PUBLIC EVENT, 25 September 2017

Hand in hand, Prince Harry proudly brought his girlfriend Meghan Markle to a highly public tennis match on 25 September 2017 at the Invictus Games in Toronto – marking their first official appearance together as a couple.

The Suits star made an intriguing outfit choice, sporting a a £221 (retailing for $185 in the States) white shirt named The Husband, designed by her friend Misha Nonoo whose former spouse went to Eton with William and Harry, along with sunglasses and ripped blue jeans.

Their appearance was seen as a sign that an engagement was on the cards for the couple, and within hours of them stepping out together bookies Ladbrokes suspended betting on an engagement announcement.

The love birds arrived, fingers entwined, to the Invictus Games semi-final, in full view of members of the public and photographers.

ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT, 27 November 2017

Prince Harry told how he was ‘thrilled’ to be marrying Meghan Markle and admitted he knew the Suits star was ‘the one’ from ‘the first day we met’.

Meghan also showed the world her engagement ring designed by Harry himself containing two diamonds from Princess Diana’s own personal collection set in a gold band.

Harry looked nervous but happy as they made their first public appearance since the announcement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, much loved by his late mother Princess Diana.

His fiancee stroked his arm lovingly as they spoke to reporters, who asked him: ‘When did you know she was the one?’ and he replied: ‘From the very first time we met’.

He refused to say how he proposed saying: ‘That will come later’ but when asked if it was romantic he said: ‘Of course it was’ – but the couple didn’t kiss for the cameras.

The prince said he was ‘thrilled, over the moon’ adding: ‘Very glad it’s not raining as well.’ Meghan said she was ‘so happy, thank you’ before they wandered back into Kensington Palace beaming.

THE ROYAL WEDDING, 19 May 2018

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in a multi-cultural and US-influenced wedding at Windsor Castle on 19 May, 2018.

The newlyweds shared tears, laughter and a passionate kiss in front of their hundreds of VIP guests dominated by Hollywood stars including the Clooneys, the Beckhams, Idris Elba, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hardy and James Corden.

Elton John, who sang at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, performed at the lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen in a poignant nod to Harry’s late mother.

All the senior British royals were also there to support the couple including Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, Harry’s best man Prince William and his wife Kate, who brought George and Charlotte but left baby Louis with the nanny.

Meghan became the first mixed-race member of the royal family in an extraordinary journey for a girl born in LA to a white father and African-American mother who fought her way through the tough world of showbusiness to land a plum role in the TV series Suits. 

FIRST OUTING AS THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX, 22 May 2018

Meghan Markle made her first outing as the Duchess of Sussex on 22 May 2018 as the newlyweds arrived at Prince Charles’s 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace.

The Duchess of Sussex was given a warm welcome into the family, with Prince Harry explicitly referring to the garden party as a ‘family celebration’ during his speech.

Harry and Meghan enjoyed only a brief private getaway following their wedding, and delayed their full honeymoon to honour the Prince.

But their newlywed energy was on full display as she rubbed her hand up and down her husband’s back as they made their way out. 

PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT AND FIRST ROYAL TOUR, October 2018

Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting in a statement via Kensington Palace on October 15, 2018.

The statement read: ‘Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public’.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh said they were ‘delighted’ to be welcoming their eighth great-grandchild in a joint statement with Prince Charles, who became a grandfather for the fourth time when Baby Sussex was born.  

Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland said she was ‘very happy about this lovely news’ and ‘looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild’.

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were told in person at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle two days prior.

Rumours were rife that Meghan may be pregnant after her mother Doria Ragland was seen taking baby-care classes in Pasadena with a view to looking after her new grandchild. 

The news came as the couple were seen beaming as they touched down in Sydney to start their three-week tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga – their first major international trip since they married in May.

They were later photographed holding hands in the grounds of Admiralty House, where the Queen stays Down Under, when their happy news was announced to the world. 

Their 16-day tour of Australasia included a trip to Fiji and Tonga despite advice that pregnant women should not travel to the region because of its moderate Zika risk.

LAVISH BABY SHOWER, February 2019

At seven-months-pregnant, the Duchess of Sussex celebrated the impending arrival of her first child Archie with a lavish baby shower trip to New York, which is thought to have cost more than $500,000 (£380,000).

Meghan’s pricey – but privately-funded – party, which took place in a $75,000-a-night penthouse, included a flower arranging class for guests, using a variety of blooms from Upper East Side florist Lady Fleur.

Guests at the lavish baby shower left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal’s favourite products. 

According to People, Serena Williams, Amal Clooney, and Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney were among the attendees who were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags. 

ARCHIE’S BIRTH, 6 May 2019 

Prince Harry revealed his delight at baby Archie’s arrival during a TV statement in which he heaped praise on his ‘incredible’ wife.

The Duke of Sussex announced that Meghan had given birth at 5.26am to a boy weighing 7lbs 3oz, having been more than a week overdue.

Prince Harry gushed that the ‘little thing is absolutely to-die-for’ as he announced the news on after Meghan went into labour in the early hours.

Speaking from Windsor at the time, a visibly-excited Prince Harry shared his immense pride as he joked of getting just two hours’ sleep the night before, before calling the birth ‘the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined’.

In a statement shortly after the birth was announced, Buckingham Palace said Meghan and her baby were ‘both doing well’, and that the Queen and other members of the royal family were ‘delighted’ with the news.

FIRST PICTURES OF BABY ARCHIE, 8 MAY, 2019

Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance with baby Archie two days after he was born in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The move differed from the announcement of royal babies in the past, where new mothers  had shown of their newborns on the steps of the hospital where they were born. 

The baby boy was lovingly cradled by his adoring father and watched attentively by Meghan, who was herself pictured for the first time in over a month since withdrawing from public life ahead of the birth. 

The couple appeared to be beside themselves with joy, giggling and looking into each other’s eyes as they spoke, while Harry could not resist sneaking a peek down at his son as he apparently slept. 

Speaking from inside the majestic St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, a radiant Meghan declared: ‘It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing. He’s just been the dream so it’s been a special couple of days. 

‘I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy. He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm.’ 

As they both laughed, Harry said: ‘I don’t know who he gets that from.’ 

Asked who the baby takes after, Meghan said: ‘We’re still trying to figure that out.’

Harry said: ‘Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks we’re basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows.’

Asked how he found parenting, Harry added: ‘It’s great. Parenting is amazing. It’s only been two and a half days, three days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.’

Harry said they were looking forward to spending some ‘precious times with him as he slowly, slowly starts to grow up.’

Asked about going to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Meghan said: ‘We just bumped into the duke as we were walking by which was so nice. So it’ll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family and my mum’s with us as well.’  

CHRISTENING: JULY, 2019 

Archie Mountbatten Windsor was christened exactly two months after he was born on July 6, last year.

The young royal was pictured sitting on the lap of his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, as she nestled into the shoulder of his father, the Duke of Sussex.

The image, shot against the opulence of Windsor Castle’s Green Drawing Room, was one of warmth and family joy.

Archie did not be take an HRH title at the request of his parents but he did, however, enjoy all the trappings of a Royal christening. 

He was wearing the cascading ivory Honiton lace and satin gown used for all Royal babies’ baptisms since the reign of Queen Victoria. The one Archie wore is a 2008 copy of the 1841 original, and was handmade by the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly.

The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, using the silver gilt Lily Font. Commissioned in 1840 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for the birth of their first child, it is part of the Crown Jewels and had been brought from the Tower of London for the occasion.

The names’ of Archie’s godparents have never been revealed, but Prince Harry’s former nanny Tiggy Legge Bourke was among the 25 guests at the private event, sparking speculation she was godmother. 

In the main picture, Archie is flanked by three of his proud grandparents, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland 

In a touching tribute to Harry’s mother, Princess Diana’s sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale were prominent in the official picture.

In the second image, which was black and white, Meghan was seen gazing into Harry’s eyes as the proud father looked down at Archie, while placing a hand on his wife’s arm.

TOUR OF AFRICA WITH BABY ARCHIE, September 2019

At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Harry and Meghan visited South Africa, Malawi, Angola and Botswana between September 23 and October 2, 2019.

The royals took baby Archie, who was just four months at the time, along with them on the trip.

During the trip they unveiled three new Queens Commonwealth Canopy projects, protecting forests and planting trees, and worked with the British Government to announce investment of £8m in technology and skills in the region. 

The Duke also travelled to Angola to focus on the ongoing mission to rid the world of landmines – following in the footsteps of the work that was pioneered by his mother, Diana.

But the highlight of the trip was when baby Archie made his first appearance by meeting one of the heroes of the anti-apartheid movement, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.   

The Sussexes released adorable footage of them carrying their four-month-old, with the caption, ‘Arch meets Archie!’.

Video posted to their Instagram account shows the couple beaming as Meghan holds little Archie – who giggles at his mother – as they are greeted by Archbishop Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe. 

Meghan joked with the Archbishop’s daughter Thandeka Tutu Gxashe that the little royal would have to get used the cameras in his life, while Ms Tutu Gxashe joked little Archie was ‘going to be a ladies’ man’.

The veteran Nobel Peace Prize-winning anti-apartheid campaigner – who effectively became the leader of the liberation struggle during Nelson Mandela’s long imprisonment – said he was ‘thrilled by the ‘rare privilege and honour’ to meet the royals.

THE ITV DOCUMENTARY THAT FOLLOWED, 20 October 2019

In Tom Bradby’s hour-long documentary, ‘Harry & Meghan: An African Journey’, which followed the royal couple during their official tour of Africa, Prince Harry admitted that he and William are travelling on ‘different paths’ in the first public acceptance of a rift between the brothers.

In a candid interview, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged there had been deepening tensions between himself and William, following months of speculation about the state of the brothers’ relationship.

He made the comments in a TV documentary broadcast where he also attacked the press over the public scrutiny that he and wife Meghan Markle have faced.

Harry said: ‘I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.’

The 35-year-old initially laughed in response to the question, then added: ‘Part of this role, part of this job and this family being under the pressure it is under, inevitably stuff happens.

‘But look, we are brothers, we will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and, as I know, he will always be there for me.’

He added: ‘We don’t see as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly and the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. As brothers, you have good days, you have bad days.’

FINAL ENGAGEMENT BEFORE STEPPING BACK AS SENIOR ROYALS, 7 January 2020

Yesterday marked Prince Harry and Meghan’s final appearance before stepping back as royals. They put on a public display of affection to thank the people of Canada for hosting their private holiday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands and walked closely next to each other as they visited Canada House to meet the country’s High Commissioner in London, Janice Charette.

They were warmly greeted by Ms Charette and her deputy Sarah Fountain Smith, after saying they wanted to meet staff to ‘thank them for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay’.

Meghan wore a mix of tans and camel colours for her appearance – pairing a coat from Reiss with a polo neck and £85 skirt from Massimo Dutti.

The Duchess was joined by Prince Harry at their first public appearance today marking the end of their six-weeks hiatus from royal duty – to thank the people of Canada for hosting their private holiday.

‘Meghan has ruined the royal family!’ Stunned social media users react to royal statement

By Danyal Hussain for MailOnline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s sudden decision to quit the royal family has been met with disbelief on social media.

The move, which has been dubbed Megxit, has split fans, with some hailing the couple for stepping back from the family – though others have criticised them. 

Several slammed Meghan over the move, with one saying: ‘Meghan Markle has ruined the royal family.’ Another said: ‘Meghan Markle has ruined Prince Harry. Now separating him from his family.’

Others were more supportive of the decision. One said: ‘Harry worries and cares for Meghan. He just wants to protect her. Remember he lost his Mum, he doesnt want to lose his wife.’

A second commented: ‘Harry and Meghan don’t need to be in the Royal Family they can survive on their own. They seem so happy together why put up with all the royal stuff when you can just go live your life how you want.’ A third simply said: ‘Go Harry and Meghan.’ 

Announcing their decision, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement today: ‘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.’