Buckingham Palace call Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal family exit ‘complicated’ after reports they ‘had no idea’

9 January 2020, 08:59

Buckingham Palace has released a statement following the news that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have stepped down from their Royal duties. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world yesterday when they announced they would be stepping down as senior members of the royal family.

And just two hours later, the Royal family responded with their own message, calling the issue ‘complicated’. 

Taking to their social media account, Buckingham Palace officials wrote: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.” 

This comes after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the unprecedented announcement that they would be splitting time between the U.K. and North America while working toward financial independence. 

They penned: “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. 

Read More: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are all smiles as they make their first royal outing following six week break

“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 couple added that “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.” 

Read More: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step down as senior members of the royal family

Following the shocking news, it was suggested the Queen and royal aides were blindsided and "disappointed" by the social media message, as they had only "very recently" been made aware of the Sussex's intentions. 

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“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 Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

According to the BBC, no other members of the Royal Family were consulted before the statement was issued. 

Unsurprisingly, social media has blown up over the last few hours, with members of the public divided over their decision. 

Piers Morgan furiously slammed on Twitter: "Wow. What a disgraceful way to treat the Queen. Shame on Harry and Meghan."

Adding: "Buckingham Palace says 'it's complicated'. Translation: the Queen's bl***y furious."

The dramatic move follows weeks of speculation about their future following a Christmas spent with Meghan’s family in Canada and a series of emotional television  interviews during their tour of southern Africa.