Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ignore royal exit drama as they return to Instagram

10 January 2020, 16:59 | Updated: 10 January 2020, 17:03

Meghan and Harry have appeared to ignore the media circus around their announcement. Picture: PA/SussexRoyal

By Alice Dear

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have broken their silence, but not in the way anyone thought.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world this week when they announced they would be stepping down as "senior" members of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex informed the public they would be splitting their time between North America and the UK, and would be working towards becoming "financially independent".

Now, the couple have returned to Instagram, appearing to ignore the backlash and media cirrus around the announcement.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced this month they will be stepping down as senior royals. Picture: PA

On Friday afternoon, a collection of pictures were shared on their Instagram page of Meghan and Harry visiting the women of The Hubb Community Kitchen.

The secret engagement happened earlier this week, the same day the couple visited Canada House in London to thank them for their hospitality during their Christmas break.

Prince William's younger brother and the former Suits actress looked in good spirits as they visited the home of the Together, Our Community Cookbook.

View this post on Instagram

Earlier this week, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to visit the women of The Hubb Community Kitchen and “Together, Our Community Cookbook.” These women came together in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy to cook meals for their families and neighbours who had been displaced from the fire. With funds from the successful cookbook, they have now been able to share their spirit of community with so many more. The Hubb continues to work with local organisations to build hope, bring comfort and provide not simply a warm meal, but with it, a sense of togetherness. The Duke and Duchess were so happy to reconnect with the women and hear about the projects they continue to develop to help those in their community and beyond. Image © SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 10, 2020 at 8:36am PST

Alongside the images, Sussex Royal wrote: "Earlier this week, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to visit the women of The Hubb Community Kitchen and 'Together, Our Community Cookbook.'

"These women came together in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy to cook meals for their families and neighbours who had been displaced from the fire. With funds from the successful cookbook, they have now been able to share their spirit of community with so many more. The Hubb continues to work with local organisations to build hope, bring comfort and provide not simply a warm meal, but with it, a sense of togetherness.

"The Duke and Duchess were so happy to reconnect with the women and hear about the projects they continue to develop to help those in their community and beyond."

Meghan and Harry attended the secret engagement a day before their announcement. Picture: PA

This royal engagement came just a day before the couple announced the changes to their position on Instagram.

The couple have been praised and slammed for their decision, with opinions being split across the world.

The Duke and Duchess' full statement reads:

"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.”