The royal family has reached a deal about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s role moving forward. On Saturday, the official royal website published a statement from Queen Elizabeth II herself, explaining how the monarchy will compromise with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The official statement from the queen went up online on Saturday, and then quickly traveled around social media. It was a short memo, informing the public that the queen had agreed to allow Prince Harry and Markle “step back from Royal duties.” They will be expected to give up military appointments, royal titles and public funds.
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The announcement also noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will will repay the British government for their home, Frogmore Cottage, which they will keep for their time in the U.K. Lastly, it addressed the question of “security arrangements,” saying they will not be revealed publicly.
“There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security,” it read. The statement ended by saying that this “new model” of life for Markle and Prince Harry “will take effect in the Spring of 2020.”
The whole memo was split, with the logistical details listed below as a statement from Buckinghan Palace, and a more personal message written above from the queen herself. In it, she expressed her love for Prince Harry, referred to as “my grandson,” and for Markle.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” it said. “I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.”
“I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family,” the queen wrote. “It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”
Markle and Prince Harry will reportedly “maintain their private patronages and associations,” so their philanthropy and community engagement around the world will likely continue. However, without public funds to support them, the financial aspect of their efforts will probably be more transparent for fans.
Historians, political analysts and celebrity news pundits will be picking apart the implications of Saturday’s announcement for a while to come. In the meantime, admirers can look forward to a newly untethered Markle starting in the spring.
