It Looks Like The Royal Family Had No Idea About Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Statement

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a statement confirming that they’ll be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family in order to become financially independent.

The news sent shockwaves through social-media last night, with royal correspondents saying that the Queen herself was not made aware of their decision to go public with these plans.

Just two hours after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their statement on Instagram, Buckingham Palace shared the following curt response. 

"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."

Insiders have told the BBC that the palace is “disappointed” by the entire situation, with senior royals also being said to be “hurt” by the shock announcement.

The couple broke the news on their Instagram page, @SussexRoyal, with the statement explaining that it took them months of deliberation to come up with a plan that would work for them going forwards.

The couple, along with their son Archie, will be splitting their time between the UK and North America while "continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”

Both Meghan and Harry have previously been candid about the impact of press intrusion into their personal lives and had recently taken a six-week break in Canada to spend some time out of the spotlight.