Meghan Markle Reportedly Pressured Prince Harry Into Stepping Down as Senior Members of the Royal Family

It’s been almost a week since Meghan Markle and husband Prince Harry dropped the historic bombshell that they’d be stepping back from their roles in the Royal Family. Since then, speculation about the situation has abounded, with some believing that the decision may have been Markle’s alone. According to an anonymous source close to the situation, Prince Harry was forced into choosing between his wife and his Royal Duties.

“She wants to leave,” the source told The Times of London. “She thinks, ‘It’s not working for me,’ [so] he is under intense pressure to choose. It is sad. He loves the Queen. He loves this country. He loves all his military stuff. I think it will genuinely break his heart to leave. I don’t think that’s what he really wants. I think they want some halfway house.”

While this is unconfirmed, it does line up with what former chef to the Royal Family, Darren McGrady, said in a series of tweets last week. that targeted Markle as “fame hungry.”

The couple first announced the news in a lengthy post on Instagram last week, which they said was a chance “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.”

The couple’s decision came amidst their lengthy vacation to Canada over the holidays, along with their dog, which is now thought to be an early clue to the whole fiasco. Though Markle went back to the U.K. for a few days to gather her belongings, she’s since returned to The Great White North with their son, Archie. Prince Harry has remained in his home country for now, where he’s begun hashing out the details of their transition.

Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement on the matter just earlier today, where she described “very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.”

“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.”

The rare first-person statement also says she expects “final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”