The royal fab four may be disbanding, at least according to sources who claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be “parting ways” with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
First reported by the U.K. paper The Sunday Times, the royal couples are considering breaking up their joint “court” at Kensington Palace in favor of two separate offices after Markle gives birth to her first child in the spring. The move reportedly comes due to marriage, family life, and changing roles, including Prince William one day becoming King, and will allow them to focus on forging their own paths.
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“There is a gulf in the style and approach to the type of work that William and Kate will increasingly do as future head of state and consort, and Harry and Meghan, who have more of a blank canvas with their roles,” a source said, according to Express. “When William becomes the Prince of Wales, he will take on a lot of extra responsibility, including the Duke of Cornwall and all that entails. Harry and Meghan have none of that, and seem ambitious about forging their own paths.”
Those paths could include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continuing to focus on environmental issues and support of women’s issues, which was on full display during their recent international tour to Australia, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand.
Regardless of whether or not the fab four split, however, they are expected to keep their Royal Foundation intact, under which they organize their charitable endeavors and their mental health campaign, according to royal author Sally Bedell Smith.
“They have brought many charities working in the same sector together to empower them and lend their positions. But they will increasingly follow their own respective interests,” Smith told PEOPLE. “I think it really is just a shift in priorities and interests. William is a husband and father of three and his focus is primarily on them, and Harry will soon be a father.”
“Each of them will continue the very strong representative of the Queen in carrying out tasks and assignments that she, and probably their father, wants them to do,” Smith added. “They are going to be sharing in this diffusion of activities on behalf of the Queen.”
The foursome, who jumped to the forefront of the modern Royal Family following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s May royal wedding, are expected to join the rest of the Royal Family for the Festival of Remembrance Service at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 10.
