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This Is Reportedly the Moment Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Knew They'd Step Down


It’s been a full week since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they’re stepping down as senior members of the royal family. Slowly but surely, details surrounding their decision have been trickling out⁠—including, now, the moment they knew they wanted to shake things up.

A palace source who spoke to People says baby Archie’s birth is when everything changed. That was May 2019, in case you forgot, and by then the Sussexes “knew they were going to hit the nuclear button,” says this source.

Adds a friend of Markle and Prince Harry’s, “When Meghan came around and she was interested in making changes, [Harry] welcomed it.” A second friend tells the publication that when Archie was born, the pair’s focus shifted even more to “doing what’s right for their family.”

In case you’re not caught up on the details, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry issued a statement last week that said they would be taking a step back from the royal family in an attempt to establish financial independence. “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,” they wrote.

Multiple reports have circulated about how other senior members of the royal family feel about this decision. The only definitive thing we know is that Queen Elizabeth II is seemingly on board—at least from the statement she released to the public.

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” she said. “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.”



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Prince Harry Reportedly ‘Cut Off’ Some of His Close Friends During Meghan Markle's Pregnancy


Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step down as senior members of the British royal family has obviously had tremendous ripple effects across the monarchy and the media. There has been an emergency summit with the queen, public statements refuting “bullying”, and so many rumors about how this all went down and exactly why the Sussexes wanted to carve out a “progressive new role” for themselves within the monarchy.

A source recently told People that Prince Harry “cut off” some of his close friends “about six months” into Markle’s pregnancy with baby Archie, who was born in May. “Most no longer even have his cell number,” the source said. “They totally understand that men often drift from their friends after marriage, but there’s still a lot of resentment because they had been so close for so long.”

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Obviously, there could be a million reasons for this—assuming it’s even true. Who among us has not grown apart from friends we had in our youth, especially as lives start to diverge and people start their own families? It’s a totally natural (and not at all shady) thing to have happen. People also notes that the Duke of Sussex is still very close with his pal Charlie van Straubenzee. They attended each other’s weddings, and van Straubenzee is rumored to be one of Archie’s godparents. (In one of their many moves to do things differently, the Sussexes did not release the names of the godparents.)

While we await final decisions about the details regarding what Prince Harry and Markle’s future will look like as they divide time between the U.K. and North America, the duchess was spotted out and about visiting Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre on January 14, and Harry is scheduled to appear at an event at Buckingham Palace tomorrow (January 16).



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This Is Reportedly Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Decided to Step Down as Senior Royals


Things have been moving very quickly across the pond since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shocked the world with their decision to step down as senior royals.

There has been much speculation about who knew what and when, what their futures will look like as they work to become “financially independent,” and, of course, why this is happening at all. In a new People story, a friend of the couple says, “If relationships had been better, things would have been different.”

“This is not how they wanted to handle this, but Meghan and Harry’s hand was forced,” the friend continued. “There is so much bad blood in that family—it’s toxic.” (The person did not call out any specific members of the royal family by name.) Another source told People that the negative press left Markle, in particular, “deeply, deeply hurt.”

“Meghan and Harry didn’t feel they got enough comfort or solace from them,” the source also said.

Whatever is actually going on inside the family is hard for anyone to guess. But we do know Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry joined the queen at Sandringham yesterday for a summit to discuss solutions and possible plans for the Sussex’s future. Ahead of the meeting, the brothers released a joint statement condemning a story that stated William had “bullied” Prince Harry and Markle out of the family. “Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a U.K. newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex & The Duke of Cambridge. 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,” the statement read.

Queen Elizabeth also emphasized family in her statement yesterday after the meeting. “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,” she said.

It’s expected that decisions surrounding what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s future will look like will be made quickly, per the queen’s request. As for the complicated family stuff, that may take longer.



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The Queen Just Broke Her Silence on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Stepping Down


Queen Elizabeth II has broken her silence on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step down as senior members of the royal family. It turns out the reports were true: The queen really did host a family meeting on Monday, January 13, to discuss the situation with Meghan and Harry. And shortly after, she released this lengthy statement to the public:

“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

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.

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 U.K.

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.”

See the statement for yourself, below:

From this, it appears the queen is relatively on board with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step out on their own and become more financially independent. But it’s clear decisions and logistics still have to be hammered out.

In their original statement announcing this news, Markle and Prince Harry wrote, “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. “



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Prince William Is Reportedly "Sad" About the Sussex Separation and the Rift With Prince Harry


Insiders say the Queen has convened an emergency family summit with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles on Monday at her estate in Sandringham, following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announcement that they planned to take some space from royal life. Apparently, the whole situation has been tough on Prince William who, according to a source, has been feeling “sad” about his brother’s decision and their supposed rift in general.

An unidentified friend speaking to The Sunday Times said that William had previously told them, “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives, and I can’t do that anymore. . . I’m sad about that.” He reportedly continued, “All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team.”

Rumors of distance between the two brothers began circling after Prince Harry married Markle. Because there were two growing families, the palace split up their households to better accommodate staff, duties, and royal responsibilities. It was a logical step, but it didn’t help quell the gossip, which Prince Harry addressed directly during the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. While he confirmed that perhaps there had been issues, he stressed they’d always have a bond.

“Inevitably stuff happens. But we’re brothers; we’ll always be brothers,” Prince Harry said at the time. “We’re certainly on different paths at the moment. I’ll always be there for him and as I know, he’ll always be there for me. We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy, but I love him dearly.” It’s unclear how the meeting among the royals is going to shake out, so there could still be a chance they find something that works for everyone in the new arrangement.



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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Low-Key Hinted They Were Stepping Down Before Announcing It


Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sent shockwaves through the palace—and world—on Wednesday, January 8, when they announced they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family. “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,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted to Instagram. Shortly after, Buckingham Palace released their own statement that suggested senior royals weren’t privy to Markle and Prince Harry’s announcement—or at least the rollout of it.

But as People magazine pointed out in an article on Friday, January 10, the Sussexes may have hinted at their plan in an IG video published on Tuesday. The post in question features footage from Markle and Prince Harry’s recent stop at London’s Canada House, and it’s soundtracked by the Raphael Lake song “Follow Me.” The lyrics to this tune are telling, especially in light of Markle and Prince Harry’s big announcement. Read just a few of them, below:

“There’s no distance in between/Darling you and me/Make this thing complete/We go drifting out to sea/Making memories..I’ll always hold on/Hopin’ you’ll miss me when I’m gone/So won’t you follow me/Follow me.”

Add this with the fact the Sussex’s video ends with them saying goodbye to the Canada House staff and facing a barrage of paparazzi, and you have what could be a hint…hidden in plain sight. Perhaps the “thing” they wanted to make “complete” was the announcement, and the “drifting out to sea” is code for them dividing time between the U.K. and North America. It’s a totally valid theory⁠—though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will probably never confirm this outright.

Whatever the case, they’ve returned to business as usual since Wednesday’s bombshell. On Friday afternoon, the @SussexRoyal Instagram account posted photos from Markle and Prince Harry’s recent visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen. They’ve made no mention of their stepping down since the first announcement.

“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment,” Markle and Prince Harry wrote in their release. “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.”





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