In what sounds more like an episode of Succession than The Crown, the Royal Family reportedly finished up a two-hour meeting in which they hashed out the particulars of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step back from their royal duties. The couple dropped a bombshell announcement last week, declaring their intentions to split their time between North America and the United Kingdom and become financially independent from the Crown. Initially, the Queen issued a statement that suggested things were not as definite as the couple made it seem, but now is more or less confirming everything.
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"Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family," the Queen's statement reads. "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 echoed the Duke and Duchess's desires not to be "reliant on public funds in their new lives" and that there will be "a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK." Their plans suggest that the new family eventually aims to settle full-time in one place.
While the details are still being sorted out, some aspects of this new life are already full steam ahead. Markle reportedly signed a voiceover deal with Disney and will donate her earnings to the wildlife charity Elephants Without Borders, according to Deadline via a paywalled article in The Times of London.
Final decisions will be reached "in the coming days."
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