It’s been a big week for the Royal Family. Even though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped a bombshell announcement on Instagram, they have still had to fend off dramatized reports and untrue information proliferating throughout the media.
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shocked the world when they announced last week they would be stepping back from their royal duties.
“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 announced on Instagram, adding that they would be “balancing their time between the United Kingdom and North America.”
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“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”
They also noted that the decision to split their time between Canada and the UK had to do with their son, Archie, who was born in May of last year.
Their reasoning was pretty clear.
“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,” they wrote.
“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course.”
“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,” they finished, signing off the post.
Shortly after, an article ran in The Times, a British newspaper, suggesting a reason for the move.
The paper alleged that Harry and Meghan had been pushed away from the Royal Family by Prince William’s “bullying attitude,” and that “Harry felt that William was insufficiently welcoming towards Meghan when they first started dating.”
In a rare joint statement, both Prince Harry and Prince William have fought back against these claims.
“Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a U.K. newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge,” the statement read.
Their statement continued.
“For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful,” they said.
Well put!
Her Majesty The Queen has also made a statement on the news.
Initially, a statement made by 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 through.”
After a meeting that occurred on January 13th, The Queen has released a more formal response herself.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she said . “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
The Queen then addressed the matter of their financial independence: “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.”
“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.”
“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days,” she said.
