Queen Elizabeth’s Shady Reaction to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Stepping Down Sends Royal Family Fans Reeling

Fans of the British Royal Family are reacting following Queen Elizabeth’s statement regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s Wednesday announcement that they are stepping back from their royal duties. After the couple announced that they had made the decision to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family” and become “financially independent,” the Queen, in a statement with Buckingham Palace, seemed to throw a little shade amid reports that she had been unaware of the couples’ decision.

“Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” the statement issued by Deputy Communications Secretary to The Queen, Hannah Howard, reads. “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”

The statement, released just after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement, drew plenty of hilarious reactions on social media.

“Queen Elizabeth II is a level of passive aggression I dream about,” tweeted one person.

“taking a break is ok. naming ur baby archie is ok. suing a tabloid is ok. ditching ur family on christmas is ok. suddenly announcing ur moving to canada is ok. pissing off queen elizabeth ii is ok,” joked another. “do what u need to do to cope.”

“Queen Elizabeth II has changed Harry and Meghan’s relationship status to ‘it’s complicated,’” responded one. “Awkward.”

“Queen Elizabeth is not having none of this,” added another.

According to a source who spoke to PEOLE, the Queen, along with other senior members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Prince William, had been unaware and were caught off guard by the announcement.

“There is a lot of hurt about this,” the source told the outlet, adding that it “was so avoidable.”

Although their family member’s were reportedly left out of the loop, the Sussex’s decision came “after many months of reflection and internal discussions.” This year, the couple will began making the transition, which will eventually see them and their son, Archie, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America, allowing them to “fully support Her Majesty The Queen” and “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.”

The couple has since launched their own website, Sussex Royal, providing more details about their decision and what’s to come.