The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have struggled with ongoing feelings of isolation from the rest of the family. Queen Elizabeth is reacting to the announcement that her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family. Just hours after Harry and Meghan shared their plan to “carve out a progressive new role,” the monarch, 93, says the conversation is still in “early” stages. “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,” the Queen’s office of Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
While there was some idea of the couple’s desire to take a different route, as discussions have been confirmed to be taking place, the 93-year-old monarch and senior members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and Prince William, were caught off guard by the release of the couple’s statement. “There is a lot of hurt about this”.
In addition to redefining their royal roles, Harry and Meghan also plan to become financially independent from the Crown. They also are planning a move to North America, where they will spend their time when they are not in the U.K.
“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,” they wrote on Instagram. “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.”
