Queen reveals Prince Harry and Meghan lose HRH titles, will 'no longer receive public funds'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will lose their HRH titles and will "no longer receive public funds" after stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family, the Queen has announced.

The decision means the couple can no longer formally represent the Queen. It is not yet clear if they will be able to keep their SussexRoyal online branding or will attend formal family events such as Trooping the Colour.

However, the breakaway couple will have to re-pay the £2.4 million ($NZ4.7m) of taxpayers' money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home.

The decision was reached today after Palace aides spent days thrashing out a new arrangement for the young couple.

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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 18, 2020 at 10:30am PST

The Queen said in a statement: "Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved members of my family.

"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.

"It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."

A statement from Her Majesty The Queen.https://t.co/ZAPC5ARUup
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 18, 2020

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

"As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments.

"They will no longer receive public funds for Royal duties. With the Queen's blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations.

"While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty.

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting 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. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to 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, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

"The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared their wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home. Buckingham Palace does not comment on the details of security arrangements.

"There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly funded security. This new model will take effect in the Spring of 2020."

This article was originally posted by NZ Herald and reproduced here with permission.

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