It’s understood no other senior members of the royal family were consulted.
Prince Harry and Meghan have announced they are to step back from public life and work towards becoming financial independent.
The pair announced the news on Wednesday but the BBC is reporting that no other senior members of the royal family were consulted before the announcement.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson 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.”
The couple plan to split their time between the UK and North America as they raise their son.
The full statement from Harry and Meghan can be read below:
“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.”
The pair also plan to completely change on they interact with the media from now on
On their official website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they “have chosen to revise their media policy to reflect both their forthcoming change as members of the Royal Family with financial independence, and their wish to reshape and broaden access to their work.”
Last October, Harry said could no longer be a “silent witness” to Meghan’s “private suffering” at the hands of the media, adding that his “deepest fear is history repeating itself”, a reference to his mother, Diana.
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