Kate's birthday is overshadowed by royal crisis as it emerges Prince Harry 'DEFIED' Queen's orders not to announce he and Meghan Markle will quit and left Prince Charles and Prince William 'incandescent with rage' by giving them just 10 minutes' notice
- Royal family have gathered at Kensington Palace to celebrate Duchess of Cambridge's 38th birthday today
- But celebrations are set to be dominated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell announcement
- There are expected to be crisis talks today among most senior family members, who are said to be 'furious'
- Royal sources today claimed Prince Harry had ignored crystal-clear orders from the Queen on the subject
- She made explicit request to her grandson that he first discuss his plans in detail with the Prince of Wales
- But he defied order, going ahead with the announcement and 'pressing the nuclear button' on royal career
The Duchess of Cambridge's birthday celebrations at Kensington Palace today were overshadowed by the ongoing crisis surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan's bombshell announcement as senior royals met for emergency talks.
Kate was seen arriving back at the palace this morning ahead of planned festivities to mark her 38th birthday, but the coming together was marred by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from family roles.
Prince Charles and Prince William were among senior royals set to meet today to discuss the fallout, amid reports they were both left 'incandescent with rage' after learning about the couple's announcement 10 minutes before it was published on their Instagram page.
Royal sources this morning even claimed Prince Harry had ignored crystal-clear orders from the Queen on the subject, after she instructed him not to make announcement about his future plans at this time.
He contacted Charles before Christmas to discuss his hopes of spending more time in North America and even sent a draft proposal of his plans to his father in the New Year, but was told more time was needed to talk through the implications.
The Evening Standard said Harry then requested a meeting with the Queen at Sandringham as soon as he arrived back in the UK with Meghan and their son Archie this weekend, following a six-week Christmas break to Canada.
The Queen offered to meet the Duke - which was blocked by courtiers - but she still made an explicit request to her grandson that he first discuss his future plans in detail with his father, the Prince of Wales.
Kate Middleton is seen arriving at Kensington Palace for her 38th birthday celebrations, which are set to be tempered by decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from family roles
Princess Eugenie was also seen arriving at Kensington Palace this morning for the birthday celebrations, which several senior members of the family are set to attend
Royal sources today claimed Prince Harry (left, at Canada House on Tuesday) had ignored crystal-clear orders from the Queen (right) after she instructed him not to announce that both he and Meghan were stepping down from their roles
Kensington Palace released a new photograph of Kate to mark the occasion, which is believed to have been taken in Norfolk at the same time as a previously-released image in autumn 2018
Today, the family looked to put on a show of unity as they wished the Duchess of Cambridge 'a very happy birthday' on social media
But the couple defied the order, going ahead with the announcement and 'pressing the nuclear button' on their royal careers, with William and Charles allegedly receiving a copy of the statement just 10 minutes beforehand.
A senior royal source said the Queen and her family were 'deeply disappointed' by the news, while another said the royals were 'shocked, saddened and downright furious' at the couple.
A senior source told The Sun: 'Their statement was not cleared with anyone. It breaks all protocol. This is a declaration of war on the family.
'There is fury over how they've done this without any thought for the implications for the institution. The Queen is deeply upset. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge are incandescent with rage.
'Courtiers can't believe it. There are so many unanswered questions but they've just up and done it without a thought for anyone else. The plan was there to discuss it and work out a way that works for everyone in the family.'
News of Prince Harry's defiance to his grandmother was reported in the Evening Standard, which said his lack of compliance will have added to unprecedented expressions of uncertainty coming out of the palace last night.
Royal photographer Arthur Edwards says Harry has changed since meeting Meghan Markle and is no longer close to his brother William
By Joe Middleton for MailOnline
A royal photographer has claimed Prince Harry is 'doing what he's told' and has changed since meeting Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stunned the world after quitting as senior royals in an announcement yesterday.
Veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards said the sudden statement has 'divided the royal family.'
Mr Edwards, speaking on Good Morning Britain today, said: 'Stands up with the Diana interview, it's as big as that. Everything we thought of the royals came true, and this is the same.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards said the sudden statement has 'divided the royal family'
Pictured: The statement from Buckingham Palace following Harry and Meghan's social media announcement that they would be stepping down from senior Royal duties
'Nobody bothered them in six weeks in Canada and I think that was a lot for them. I could see this coming.
'I thought the way they behaved on a tour you could see it coming. Normally, after a tour we'd all go for a drink to the pub and Harry would pick up the bill but this time he issued writ!
A statement issued by the royal couple Wednesday evening also said they intend to 'balance' their time between the U.K. and North America.
It also said they will work to become 'financially independent' while continuing to support the queen.
Their dramatic decision was taken without the knowledge of their family. A senior royal source said the Queen and her family were 'deeply disappointed'.
Mr Edwards said that Prince Harry had changed after meeting Meghan and was no longer close with his brother, William
The veteran photographer added: 'When he says he was persecuted by the press, not one pic was published about them during their break. This has divided the royal family - and I think Harry's doing what he's told personally.
'I'm sad he's going, every tour he's been on has been fun. And the way he interacted with the children on our most recent trip, it's sad we won't see much more of him. I won an award for that picture of him at a the school in Luton.
'Before Harry met Meghan they were [brothers] were very close. I fell in love with my wife, it didn't change my life. I just think it's really sad what's happening.
The decision by the royal couple has prompted fury from Buckingham Palace aides
In a terse statement issued slightly after the Sussexes made their own announcement, Buckingham Palace said: 'Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.
'We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work though.'
Today, the family looked to put on a show of unity as they wished the Duchess of Cambridge 'a very happy birthday' on social media.
Joyful posts from the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla featuring emojis formed part of a fightback against the family being undercut by Prince Harry and Meghan who quit as senior royals last night.
The Mail has been told the couple 'secretly plotted' their decision during their stay in Canada, even conspiring to create a new website independent of the Royal Family and ready to launch it when they returned. This was without the knowledge of their own loyal UK-based press team.
'The level of deceit has been staggering and everyone from the top of the royal household to the bottom feels like they have been stabbed in the back,' one source said.
It also emerged last night that:
- Harry and Meghan want to be 'financially independent' and plan to earn their own income, which they say they are currently prevented from doing;
- They will give up their right to money from the sovereign grant, but could still take money from Prince Charles;
- They will also keep their police protection – funded by the taxpayer – and have offered to carry out a vastly reduced number of royal duties in Britain and elsewhere in the Commonwealth.
- They will retain their home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor as a UK base;
In their extraordinary statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to 'carve out a progressive new role' and 'step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family'.
They said they wanted to balance their time between the UK and North America, 'continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages'.
The Mail understands that the couple raised their desire to seek out a new life a week ago and family members agreed to work with them in making it possible.
But hours after they had visited the Canadian High Commission in London to thank them for their recent hospitality, the pair decided to go public with their decision – pressing the nuclear button, as one source described it.
Negotiations are at such an early stage that the couple still have no idea where they are going to live in North America, although Canada is clearly the favoured option.
Harry and Meghan have, in the words of one aide, 'no clue' as to how they will become financially independent – although for the moment are insisting they will continue to take money from the Prince of Wales to fund their official work.
Royals who have tried to go down this route include the Earl and Countess of Wessex, who were forced to give up their television production and PR careers after a series of scandals.
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who famously said they would go anywhere for a hot meal, and the Duchess of York, who made a string of disastrous business deals that led her to bankruptcy, have learned to their cost that it can be perilous balancing their privileged royal status with business matters.
Harry and Meghan have made no mention of giving up their royal titles or status and insist they will keep Frogmore Cottage, the home that was done up for them with £2.4million of public money.
They will also keep their state-funded Metropolitan Police protection officers.
'It's a masterclass in wanting to have your cake and eat it,' one royal insider raged. 'Even their own staff cautioned against them making this public until they actually sat down and discussed it with the family properly.
'But they are in this weird bubble and have this strange siege mentality.
'They feel like it's them against the world and are painting a very unfair picture of how this is a family that supposedly doesn't understand or support them, which is complete and utter rubbish.'
Another source said: 'The family is perfectly willing to help them but this was a discussion better had discreetly and quietly.
'Why on earth they have put it out in the public domain is a decision only they can justify.
'They have no idea where they are going to live, have no idea how they are going to make their money.
'The feeling is one of deep disappointment that they have chosen to do this unilaterally and without prior warning or consultation.
'And no one believes it will actually help them to have these kind of conversations and discussions in public.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released this statement this evening announcing that they will be quitting as senior Royals
Pictured: The statement from Buckingham Palace following Harry and Meghan's social media announcement that they would be stepping down from senior Royal duties
Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex visit to Canada House on Tuesday before their announcement that they would be 'stepping back'
Where will Archie go to school? Couple will have to choose between a traditional British education, a 'holistic' and bilingual experience in Canada or home-schooling their son
With a new transatlantic life on the cards, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will face the difficult decision of where to send their son to school.
According to an education expert, the options on the table are a traditional grade-focused British education, a 'holistic' and potentially bilingual school in Canada, or a private tutor.
Meanwhile a parenting expert has observed that it's crucial the couple prioritise quality time with their son so that their jetset life doesn't unsettle him.
Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they are retiring from royal duties to spend more time in North America - fuelling speculation they are poised to raise the seven-month-old in Canada where they recently returned from holiday.
The family spent Christmas in Canada and Harry posed for a picture with his little boy Archie, who the couple have said they will raise with a respect for the tradition into which he was born
Since their wedding back in 2018, the couple have constantly broke with royal tradition in a clear signal they intended to forge their own lifestyle. This has been particularly noticeable with regards to Archie, whom they have deliberately kept out of the spotlight to give him a 'normal' upbringing.
In last night's shock statement on Instagram, the couple said: '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.'
With the couple planning to divide their time between the UK and North America, Archie could be educated in England, Canada, or both.
The fact Canada has two official languages - French and English - may appeal to Meghan when it comes to bringing up her son.
According to her biography on the royal family's website, Meghan studied French for six years and also completed an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires during her time at Northwestern University, where she learned to speak Spanish.
Yesterday, while speaking to gathered staff on their visit to Canada House in London, Prince Harry suggested that his wife speak to them in French. Meghan previously chatted to students at a secondary school in Morocco in French when she asked them what they study.
It's possible the duke and duchess may be eager for their child to be brought up bilingual - beneficial not only to an international lifestyle but also for cognitive development.
Reports have shown children as young as seven months who are exposed to more than one language tend to adjust better to changes in the environment.
They may also be attracted to Canada's more holistic approach to education, in contrast to the UK's stringent grade-dependent system.
'People understand they want to get things moving and there remains a desire to help them get this right but you do not turn 1,000 years of British royal history on its head in eight days.
'They have got to start working with people. It's hugely unfair to paint out that this is a fusty old institution that doesn't want to help them. People have been bending over backwards looking at different ways of doing things.
'But they have made clear they still want to be paid by the public purse for their work and they have to accept that things need to be thought through carefully.'
After their seismic falling out with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, followed by the decision to split their joint royal household, Harry and Meghan have battled to find their natural home within the Royal Family.
Sources say Harry told his grandmother more than a year ago that he and Meghan wanted to set up their own 'court' independent of Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, while retaining funding from them.
The prince was firmly told that this outcome would not be possible and that no one was 'bigger' – or more important – than the Queen.
The couple sullenly agreed to set up their new 'Sussex Royal' household under the Buckingham Palace umbrella, but have long been branded by insiders as 'awkward and childish' for refusing to work harmoniously alongside other members of the Royal Family.
'The writing was on the wall a long time ago,' said one source with knowledge of the situation last night.
The couple's move follows weeks of speculation about their future after they took an extended break from royal duties over the festive period that followed an emotional appearance in a documentary.
In the ITV programme they spoke about the pressures they have been facing and family rifts, and in a separate move Harry issued a damning statement against the media accusing sections of the press of bullying his wife.
Harry and Meghan have only recently returned from their six-week break spent in the Canadian province of British Columbia with their eight-month-old son Archie.
Their first royal engagement of the new decade was to visit Canada's High Commission in central London to thank Canadians in person for the warmth of the welcome they received.
It is likely they will be spending their time in the Commonwealth country when not in UK and may travel to America, Meghan's homeland and where her mother lives. Any move to Canada, even for a period of the year, would throw up important questions about Meghan and Harry's long-term future within the royal family.
Meghan, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together when Meghan joined her then-boyfriend Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in the city.
The cost of security for the couple would also be an issue, and as Canada is a realm, a country where the Queen is head of state, it may have to pay for keeping the couple and their son Archie safe. The couple's aim to be 'financially independent' may point towards them seeking a job, or a paid role with an organisation whose aims compliment their own beliefs.
Other members of the monarchy who have salaried jobs include the Queen's grandchildren Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Peter Phillips, who all work for a living.
But the lows included rows over privacy, rifts with relatives, the launch of legal action and an attack on the press which overshadowed an official royal tour.
Even the Queen in her Christmas Day address spoke of the 'bumpy' path her family and the nation had experienced.
Harry and Meghan's statement announcing their decision soon after their return from a six-week break in Canada refers to their 'many months of reflection and internal discussions'.
Meghan WHO? The Queen and Prince Charles wish Kate Middleton 'a very Happy 38th Birthday… before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle post a short message to her hours after bombshell announcement they will step back from public life
The Royal Family hit back today with a show of strength after Harry and Meghan quit as senior royals by wishing Kate 'a very happy birthday' and flagging her pivotal role.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla specifically chose a series of pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge with high-ranking royals to mark her 38th birthday.
Their Twitter posts made clear her importance as a central member of the Royal Family and a perfect Queen-in-waiting since marrying Prince William in 2011.
They released glowing pictures of Kate laughing with the Queen and Charles to herald her great work - and also linked to her profile on the royal.uk website.
With senior royals said to be 'incandescent with rage' today, they tried to boost the Duchess of Cambridge's profile as a royal female figurehead on her birthday.
The @RoyalFamily account tweeted: 'Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday!', before including a link to its official website about her work
The Sussex Royal Instagram account for Harry and Meghan also posted a message today, saying: 'Wishing a very happy birthday to the Duchess of Cambridge today'
Their joyful posts featuring emojis formed part of a fightback against the family being undercut by Prince Harry and Meghan who quit as senior royals last night.
The @RoyalFamily and @ClarenceHouse accounts both posted birthday messages, while Kensington Palace released a new photograph of Kate to mark the occasion.
The @RoyalFamily account tweeted: 'Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday!', before including a link to its official website about her work.
They also posted pictures of her with the Queen in Nottingham in June 2012, at King's College London last March and at the Chelsea Flower Show in May last year.
Charles and Camilla issued a tweet from @ClarenceHouse saying: 'Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday', along with a balloon emoji.
They posted pictures of Kate in London last March, with Camilla at Trooping The Colour in June 2017, with Charles in June 2014 and another with William and Charles.
Prince William laughs with Kate and Prince Charles in this photo posted by @ClarenceHouse today to celebrate her 38th birthday
When celebrating her birthday in January 2019, @RoyalFamily tweeted five images of Kate with children, but the only other senior royal featured was her husband William.
This change in the photographs used demonstrates Kate's importance to the Royal Family in just the past year, and how she is growing into her role within The Firm.
The @ClarenceHouse account did not post a message for Kate's birthday last year.
The new photograph of Kate is believed to have been taken at the same time as a previously-released picture with her family at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in autumn 2018.
The picture was posted by @KensingtonRoyal with a message saying: 'Thank you everyone for all your lovely messages on the Duchess of Cambridge's birthday!'
The Sussex Royal Instagram account for Harry and Meghan also posted a message, saying: 'Wishing a very happy birthday to the Duchess of Cambridge today'.
Kensington Palace released a new photograph of Kate to mark the occasion, which is believed to have been taken in Norfolk at the same time as a previously-released image in autumn 2018
The @RoyalFamily also posted these images of Kate on January 9 last year with children - but the only other senior royal featured was her husband Prince William, with nothing of the Queen
Couple complain that royal roles mean they CAN'T earn their own money... but now they'll need to strike lucrative deals to keep up a lavish transatlantic lifestyle, so how WILL they make a living?
By Sam Greenhill, Chief Reporter for the Daily Mail
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last night revealed they plan to relaunch their careers – potentially earning millions of pounds a year.
In an astonishing statement on their new website, they complained they had been unable to earn their own money as senior royals.
They will give up their income from the Sovereign Grant – the money taxpayers give to the Queen every year – and launch themselves onto the international celebrity circuit.
The couple will keep Frogmore Cottage (above) that was gifted to them by the Queen
The couple renovated the property and put their own touches in each and every room (bath above)
'The remaining 5 per cent of funding for the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured), covering costs associated with employing members of their official office, is received through the Sovereign Grant'
The graphic above which they posted to their website details how The Crown Estate works
Playing paralegal Rachel Zane, she starred in over 100 episodes, which put her annual pay at an estimated £333,000
The Duke and and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son (Name later announced as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor), who was born on May 6 2019 during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire
They will need to strike lucrative commercial deals to maintain the lavish lifestyle to which they are comfortably accustomed.
Until now Harry and Meghan have been 'prohibited from earning any income in any form' – as they pointed out last night in a lengthy statement on their official website.
Queen's ex-chef Darren McGrady launches blistering attack on 'fame-hungry' Meghan Markle and 'airhead' Prince Harry - and claims Princess Diana would have been 'ashamed' of him stepping back
The Queen's former chef has joined the long list of commentators jumping on the bandwagon to slam the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's move to 'step back' from royal duties.
Darren McGrady, who spent 15 years in the royal kitchen, cooking for a host of royals, from the Queen to the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry, took to Twitter to share his opinion on the announcement.
The author, 58, launched a scathing attack on the couple, dragging the late Princess Diana into his reasoning, claiming that Diana previously said Prince Harry, now 35, was 'an airhead like her'.
Darren McGrady, who spent 15 years in the royal kitchen, cooking for a host of royals, from the Queen to the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry, took to Twitter to share his opinion on the announcement
Although it is not clear whether he has met Meghan Markle, 38, he continued his rant by piling the blame on her and claiming that the Duchess 'only wanted to be famous', though he did not explain how stepping back from the limelight would back this theory up.
Taking to Twitter, the irate chef wrote: 'Meghan wanted to be famous. Meghan is famous! It's all about Meghan!'
'People saying Princess Diana would be proud don't know Princess Diana. She would have been furious that Harry had been so manipulated.
'I remember Princess Diana in the kitchen at Kensington Palace talking about 'her boys' ... 'William is deep like his father. Harry is an airhead like me'.
'I guess she nailed it.
'Even in her darkest hour Princess Diana respected The Queen. She would have been so mad with Harry right now.'
Although it is not clear whether he has met Meghan Markle, 38, the chef continued his rant by piling the blame on her and claiming that the Duchess 'only wanted to be famous', though he did not explain how stepping back from the limelight would back this theory up
'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'.
The announcement racked up 1.4 million likes, and 80,000 comments, with some reacting with disappointment, and others with understanding.
Reacting to the news, mental health writer Matt Haig defended the couple, writing: 'Meghan and Harry [are told that if they] don’t like the attention they should take a back seat. [Then] Meghan and Harry: *take a back seat* [and are told] How dare they take a back seat!'.
Elsewhere another follower wrote: 'Best decision you can make for your family Harry, good on you'.
'Good for them', another said. 'If Princess Diana had done the same thing she'd still be alive. Harry has always been the black sheep of that family, and has always wanted to leave. Well done!'.
Buckingham Palace later released a statement confirming that discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were at an 'early stage'.
The couple issued a declaration that they were looking forward to 'becoming financially independent'.
They said they had 'made the choice' to 'no longer receive funding' from the Sovereign Grant, adding: 'Their Royal Highnesses prefer to release this financial tie.'
No one knows how much the grant is worth to Harry and Meghan but in forfeiting it they have effectively liberated themselves from most accountability to taxpayers over their spending.
Defending their new status, they stressed: 'There is precedent for this structure and it applies to other current members of the Royal Family who support the monarch and also have full-time jobs external to their commitment to the monarchy.'
While the statement on the couple's website makes great play of the fact they are giving up the money from the Sovereign Grant, it does not say whether they will be making do without the cash they get from Prince Charles via his private £1.2billion Duchy of Cornwall estate – which some argue should be regarded as a public asset.
Charles paid £4.9million to his sons from his duchy income last year, of which slightly less than half is believed to have gone to Harry.
Yesterday the Sussexes said the money from Charles amounted to 95 per cent of their office expenditure. They added: 'The remaining 5 per cent of funding for the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, covering costs associated with employing members of their official office, is received through the Sovereign Grant.'
The couple stressed that 'wherever possible and unless advised otherwise on security grounds', they travel using 'commercial carriers, local trains and fuel-efficient vehicles'.
Harry's other wealth comes from his estimated £20million inheritance from his mother Princess Diana.
He also banked around £7million from his great-grandmother the Queen Mother, who paid it into a trust fund in 1994.
Meghan's net worth of around £4million came from having earned around £37,000 per episode as an actress in the US drama Suits.
Playing paralegal Rachel Zane, she starred in over 100 episodes, which put her annual pay at an estimated £333,000.
She also appeared in several films, including romantic comedies and Horrible Bosses, where she had a 30-second cameo as a delivery girl.
Her role in the 2010 film Remember Me reportedly earned her £140,000, while she was paid £130,000 for The Candidate in the same year.
By keeping their royal titles – and given their high profiles on both sides of the Atlantic – Harry and Meghan are likely to be offered many lucrative engagements.
The world's top speakers can command up to half a million dollars (£380,000) for a single after-dinner speech.
They may also be able to make money from merchandise.
In the past few weeks, the couple have trademarked their Sussex royal brand on more than 100 items, from T-shirts, books and magazines to teaching materials and emotional support groups.
They submitted trademark applications for textbooks, footwear, headgear, coats, jackets – and even pyjamas. The couple are already hugely wealthy.
Before marrying Harry, Meghan earned £61,000 a year running her lifestyle blog The Tig, which focused on food, travel, fashion and health and made the most of her celebrity endorsement deals.
She had to shut it down when she announced she was Harry's girlfriend.
If it is now reactivated, it could make her far more money.
But the road ahead is fraught with danger if past royal commercial ventures are anything to go by.
Images of the Duchess of York infamously counting bundles of cash in a News of the World sting were hard to shake off.
Prince Edward once tried to combine royal duties with running a television production company, before it flopped.
And his wife Sophie Wessex was also caught by the News of the World uttering indiscretions when touting herself as a PR consultant.
The costs of Harry and Meghan's lifestyle are high and likely to rise.
They employ a private secretary, who can earn up to £146,000, and a nanny for their son Archie who would also command a six-figure salary.
London 'supernannies' who work for the capital's richest and most powerful families earn an average of £104,000, according to industry sources.
At Frogmore Cottage in Windsor they have a housekeeper – but no chef because Meghan loves cooking – two personal assistants and two palace orderlies probably earning between £20,000 and £30,000 each.
The couple came under scrutiny in 2019 for their use of private jets when they travelled together. The trips were privately funded by the couple.
They also visited family friend Sir Elton John's holiday home, but the musician revealed he had paid for the cost of the flight himself and donated to a carbon- offsetting charity.
Harry and Meghan unveil slick new website outlining how their 'transition' to a 'progressive new role' will unfold moments after making bombshell 'we quit' announcement
Prince Harry and Meghan unveiled a slick new website just moments after announcing they were stepping back from royal duties.
Posts on the website, sussexroyal.com, detail the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'new working model', explaining how they intend to go forward in a 'progressive new role' following the announcement that they are quitting the royal family.
They listed their new media relations policy, the future of their charities and also explained how they will be funded after claiming that they want to be financially independent.
In one astonishing statement, they complained they had been unable to earn their own money as senior royals.
The website, sussexroyal.com, details the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'new working model'
Until now Harry and Meghan have been 'prohibited from earning any income in any form' – as they pointed out last night in the lengthy post on their official website.
They will give up their income from the Sovereign Grant – the money taxpayers give to the Queen every year – and launch themselves onto the international celebrity circuit.
They will need to strike lucrative commercial deals to maintain the lavish lifestyle to which they are comfortably accustomed.
Sussexroyal.com also said the couple 'value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing.
The website added that the Duke and Duchess will also continue to base themselves at Frogmore Cottage, with the Queen's permission.
Taxpayers will also still be expected to pay for their security.
Referring to armed security by the Metropolitan Police mandated by the Home Office, the site said: 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security.'
Harry and Meghan also aimed another blast at the British media and what they call its 'misreporting'.
They announced they would be withdrawing from the 'royal rota' system, which allows British newspaper, television and radio organisations to cover their work in recognition of the monarchy being a publicly-funded organisation.
UK media are currently entitled to cover their engagements in an impartial manner without control from royal officials.
The couple say they now intend to offer access to specially-invited media and dispense news via their own official communications and social media channels.
On their new website, the duke and duchess said they believe this policy will reflect 'both their forthcoming independence as members of the Royal Family' and their wish to 'reshape and broaden access to their work'.
They also attacked the British media's body of royal correspondents, claiming: 'Regrettably, stories that may have been filed accurately by royal correspondents are also often edited or rewritten by media editorial teams to present false impressions.'
A statement added: 'Their Royal Highnesses recognise that their roles as members of the Royal Family are subject to interest, and they welcome accurate and honest media reporting, as well as being held to account if appropriate.
'Equally, like every member of society, they also value privacy as individuals and as a family.'
The site also listed the various charities that the Duke and Duchess are patron of and explained how they intend to continue representing the Queen and strengthening the Commonwealth.
A statement said: 'As they move to become members of the Royal Family, with financial independence, their commitment to The Monarch is resolute, and they aim to continue to fly the flag for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as called upon.'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to KEEP their £650,000-a-year security and STAY living in Queen's Frogmore Cottage that taxpayers paid £2.4m to renovate just months ago - but could now have to pay RENT to the monarch
By Sam Greenhill, Chief Reporter for the Daily Mail
Despite stepping back as frontline royals, Harry and Meghan have decided to keep Frogmore Cottage.
The public paid £2.4million to fund a renovation of the Grade II-listed property near Windsor Castle. And the couple announced last night they wanted to keep it so they would have 'a place to call home in the United Kingdom'.
The phrasing raised the prospect that their main home will come to be regarded as being elsewhere, perhaps Canada.
It was decided taxpayers would help Harry and Meghan pay for Frogmore after the newlyweds eschewed their home in the grounds of Kensington Palace, wanting a place of their own.
The couple will keep Frogmore Cottage (above) that was gifted to them by the Queen
Royal accounts show £2.4million of taxpayer money has been ploughed into renovating five-bedroomed Frogmore Cottage.
The major work included replacing defective ceiling beams and floor joists, and updating outmoded heating systems.
But the couple are also thought to have installed a luxury kitchen and bathroom in the building. Officials have been keen to downplay suggestions that this was an example of royal profligacy.
Last night, a statement on the official royal Sussex website said: 'Frogmore Cottage will continue to be the property of Her Majesty the Queen.
'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to use Frogmore Cottage – with the permission of Her Majesty The Queen – as their official residence as they continue to support the monarchy, and so that their family will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom.'
When the enormous public cost of fixing up Frogmore was first revealed, the couple faced criticism from some quarters.
Even fans of the royals were scathing about the costs, especially as Harry and Meghan 'could have moved next door' to a grand apartment within Kensington Palace if they had needed more space.
But amid reports of a rift with Prince William and Kate, the 'substantial overhaul' of Frogmore Cottage – a gift to the couple from the Queen – was approved by Her Majesty. The final bill is expected to top £3million.
One critic, Graham Smith, from the campaign group Republic, compared the renovation bill to a charity's funding of a centre for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), saying: 'A charity spent £2.4million on a support centre for marines suffering PTSD.
'The taxpayers then spent the same amount on a luxury private home for Harry and Meghan.'
WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG: That glorious wedding captivated the world - but from the festering debacle over Meghan's father to the fracturing of the Fab Four, the facade soon began to crumble, as revealed by the Mail's peerless RICHARD KAY
Not even 20 months have passed since that magical day when they stood on the steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor and, with a kiss, enchanted a global audience of millions.
The wedding of Harry and Meghan was a love letter from Britain to the world, from the blue skies over a fairytale castle to the gospel choir and a carriage drive through streets thronged with cheering admirers.
This was a moment to savour, the grandson of the Queen marrying a mixed heritage young woman descended from slaves. But it was also about the fulfilment of a nation's dreams for a prince, who was fixed in the collective national memory as a 12-year-old following his mother's coffin.
Pictured: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) on July 10, 2018
Family fortunes: Smiles at Sandringham for the Fab Four, but the group soon began to crumble after Meghan and Harry wed
Tragically, the shared happiness was misplaced. Harry and Meghan were not just a couple who wanted to embrace both modernity and tradition; they were bent on re-writing the rule book of what being a member of the Royal Family actually means.
We should perhaps have realised; after all, the manner in which the duchess's father was ruthlessly excluded from the ceremony went beyond mere discourtesy.
At the time, the failure of Thomas Markle to give his daughter away was blamed squarely on his own foolishness.
Nor was much made of the absence of many of Harry's oldest friends, the mates who had stuck by him through thick and thin. In their place came a new set of chums, megawatt celebrities who had not been around when he was at his lowest ebb, but who would add a glamorous touch of stardust to proceedings.
The tragedy of Harry and Meghan is that they could have been life-long royal heroes. The Prince himself was already much loved, second only to the Queen in popularity.
From seeing action on the front line in Afghanistan not once but twice, and from which he had emerged unscathed, Harry had won over those sceptical about his party prince reputation.
After the Army, affection for him soared following his triumphant visit to the Caribbean, where he posed with another superstar, the Olympic athlete Usain Bolt.
If elder brother William represented the dutiful if dull side of royalty, Harry was the fun side. He was open and amusing, taking everything in his stride. All he needed was to find the love of a good woman and his happiness — and ours — would be complete.
His romantic path had been strewn if not with broken hearts then certainly with trepidation. Before Meghan, he had wooed and lost two other beauties — Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas —who valued a life out of the limelight, rather than marriage and the goldfish bowl of royal attention.
Pictured: Meghan and Harry in South Africa last year
In Meghan he found a soulmate who had at least experienced life in the spotlight. This, they both hoped, would provide an understanding for their future together.
But if anything this understanding has served to drive them apart from the very institution they say they want to support. It has led to William and Harry, once the closest of brothers, being alienated from one another, and to a series of ill-judged interventions that have provoked bafflement and, yes, even resentment.
Their preaching to ordinary people about how they should lead their lives — particularly about climate change — and what has come to be seen as a drip, drip, drip of complaints about how they are treated, has led to a real disconnect. Who would have thought that in recent times the mere mention of Harry and Meghan's names at Buckingham Palace would lead some of the Queen's most loyal courtiers to wrinkle their noses and pull a face.
The rot set in even before the glow of that May wedding day had passed. Shortly after returning from honeymoon, Meghan was asked by a younger member of the family how it had gone and, more to the point, where they had gone. 'We're not telling anyone,' the new Duchess of Sussex smiled. Was this merely a symptom of someone still adjusting to royal life, or someone who was not about to make any compromises about their privacy?
It was not long before the Markle debacle over Meghan's father was again rearing its head. A sweet but naïve figure, Thomas Markle did not help himself with his sudden fascination for giving interviews about his famous daughter.
But here was a man of limited resources suddenly thrust onto a global stage, unsure of protocol and stumbling from one misadventure to another.
Sympathy, at first, was with his daughter, but questions were soon asked about her and Harry's duty of care towards him. In fact, the seeds of this family fall-out which, I believe, has shaped the way Harry and Meghan are now, were sown through their own casual ineptness.
They should never have allowed Markle to fall into the clutches of the paparazzi with his admittedly crass stunted pictures before the wedding. Why did no one from Harry's office — or indeed Prince Charles's — fly to Mexico, where the retired lighting director lived in genteel if reduced circumstances?
He should have been flown to Britain, housed in any number of royal residences, dressed and presented to the world on his daughter's wedding day.
This lack of care inevitably led to another unseemly domestic outcome — the behaviour of Meghan's extended family. As unattractive as they undoubtedly were, there was no doubt they had a point when they railed about the duchess's treatment of her divorced father. Certainly it compared unfavourably with the kidgloves handling of Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who played a prominent part in her daughter's wedding.
Even so, many were prepared to cut Meghan some slack, pointing out how hard many young women — particularly Harry's mother, Diana, had found royal life.
But revelations about the duchess's apparently high-handed manner were causing unease. It emerged that there had been a row between Harry and one of the Queen's closest aides over the tiara the duchess wanted to wear at her wedding. Several tiaras had been considered, but the Queen did not want to lend the one Meghan preferred. Words were exchanged and Harry backed down.
Meanwhile, it emerged that Meghan had complained about the mustiness of St George's chapel and wanted it sprayed with air freshener before the ceremony. This was a young woman who was clearly not going to accept her position quietly.
There was further trouble over the bridesmaids' dresses, which was an early sign of the great tensions to come. It was reported that Meghan had reduced Kate, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, to tears, because of her manner. Weddings, of course, often lead to domestic tensions but are usually forgotten afterwards. With Harry and Meghan, they just increased.
Meghan's decision to hold an extravagant baby shower in New York didn't just shock people, it offended them, too. What possible justification could there be for the private jets — no matter who picked up the bill — as well as luxury hotels, lavish parties and expensive baby gifts?
It was the kind of look associated with the Kardashians, not the Windsors. Then came the biggest shock of all — the secrecy over the birth of baby Archie. Here, not just tradition but common sense was upended. They announced there would be no bulletins on when or where the baby would be born, no traditional photograph and they even declined to say who was in charge of delivery.
This didn't just upset royal fans but the Royal Family, too. For generations, the births of those close to the throne have been proclaimed on a notice placed just inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. It always includes the names of the doctors in attendance.
Harry and Meghan simply ignored protocol and did it their way. While touching it undoubtedly was as Harry spoke of his pride and joy, the moment was riven with controversy. As for the birth, they cackhandedly arranged for a statement saying Meghan had gone into labour to be issued after the baby had actually been born.
But the real insult came when baby Archie's christening was shrouded in secrecy. The couple refused to say who the godparents were, and when photographs did appear the infant's face was largely obscured.
Some may see this as unnecessary carping about a couple who want to ensure their son is not brought up in the royal way, but has the privacy that was denied Harry and William as they grew up. Others suggest that all they were really doing was weaponising their family in their battles for privacy.
Meanwhile, the 'fab four', as the royal brothers and their wives had been dubbed, was no more. Harry and Meghan moved to Windsor, separated his office from William's and split from their highly successful charity, the Royal Foundation .
This was not just a change in direction but a unilateral declaration of independence. Nothing illustrated this more than their decision to give an interview to ITV while on a royal tour of southern Africa last autumn. It was a mistake of historic proportions. Standing against a backdrop of some of the most deprived regions on earth, they complained to the camera about their lot.
At the same time Harry's comments triggered another wave of disbelief. Questioned about his relationship with William he confirmed what until then had been mere tittle tattle: that the once whisper-close brothers had fallen out. How much this domestic heartache is at the centre of the Sussexes's bombshell is not yet clear. But the repercussion are going to echo for a long time to come.
Immune to their privilege. Wrapped up in themselves. And, sadly, throwing in the towel so soon... SARAH VINE asks: 'Whatever happened to the enchanting happy couple we all fell in love with?'
'For months now, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had the look of two people who would rather suck lemons than continue to be an active part of the Royal Family', writes Sarah Vine
Well, that was about as much of a surprise as a drunk uncle at a wedding. For months now, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had the look of two people who would rather suck lemons than continue to be an active part of the Royal Family.
Frankly, it's a surprise they've lasted this long. That said, I'm very sad to see them go. And so soon. It feels like they've barely got stuck in, hardly had a chance to understand what the job really entails before handing in their resignation.
It's almost as though they never really had any intention of trying to stick it out at all, as though right from the start the notion was always there in the back of their minds that if life as Duke and Duchess didn't live up to expectation, they would simply leave.
Being a part of the Royal Family is not easy. It may carry all the trappings of privilege, but there is a hefty price to pay. It takes determination and a deep-rooted sense of duty to withstand both the scrutiny and expectations of the British public and press. A strong backbone and a thick skin are just as vital as an elegant wave.
Successive generations of royals have had to learn these lessons in their own way. None – not even the Queen – have been immune to the pressures that come with such a rarefied existence. The personal sacrifices that have to be made can be hard to bear, all the more so because they have to be borne in private.
And yet, for those who endure, the rewards are great. Not just the undying love and respect of the British people, but also a chance to pursue one's passions and really make a difference where it matters. Both Prince Charles and Prince William have battled their own demons, and risen finally to the challenge.
Which is why it's all the more unsettling to see Harry – once the rumbustious soldier, never afraid of getting stuck in among the lads – flying the white flag so early on in the struggle.
I suppose there is a kind of courage in knowing when you've had enough, and in that respect Harry has been clear. But, in truth, it's not entirely obvious what has driven him to such a conclusion: was the £2.4million taxpayer-funded refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage not lavish enough? The outpouring of affection at their multi-million-pound wedding insufficiently fawning? The Queen's repeated invitations to stay – rebuffed more than once – not hospitable enough?
It's almost as though nothing matters to this couple apart from their own immediate happiness and gratification, as though they are incapable of seeing beyond their own little bubble of privilege.
It has often been speculated as to whether they might end up walking away from Britain, but the timing of this announcement could hardly be more insensitive, or more indicative of how little either seems to understand the true nature of their roles as Royals.
Prince Philip has only just come out of hospital. The Yorks are still weathering a storm of scandal. In the wider world, Britain's forces stand in peril in the Middle East. Yet this is the moment they choose to walk away – and without telling the Queen.
Yet for all that, my reaction to this story is more sadness than anger. Especially when you think back to how happy we all were when Harry finally found his bride, how excited we were to share in his delight.
That little lost boy deprived of his mother had had it rough, not helped by the pain that a bitter parental divorce can bring.
All those years of drunken escapades, Nazi uniforms, strip billiards in Vegas, fleeting Sloaney girlfriends – they all melted away when it became clear that Harry had found a woman he felt could be his own rock to cling on to in a turbulent life.
For all those reasons, the nation invested such hope in their union – one which also provided an incredible opportunity to breathe fresh life into the institution of royalty.
Here was a beautiful, successful, independent young woman from a mixed-race background who had made her own way in life against considerable odds, and whose ambition and ability were an inspiration to so many.
But there is a big difference between being a famous soap actress and a member of the Royal Family, and grasping that distinction is something Meghan has clearly struggled with.
For a minor Hollywood celebrity, she has always seemed curiously ill-at-ease with the public nature of her role as royal consort, uncomfortable with the proprietorial nature of the deal.
Now, for whatever reason, Harry seems to have been distanced from his own family in the same way Meghan extracted herself from much of her own, and also walked away from her first husband.
That said, let's be clear: while the temptation is to blame Meghan for the couple's decision to walk away, in truth the ultimate responsibility lies with Harry.
Meghan at least has the excuse that she was not born to this role, that she had no previous experience, that she could not have ever truly known how it would turn out. He, by contrast, knew exactly what he was letting her in for.
Harry's own struggles before he met Meghan may have played some part in his choice of bride. Had he married a more conventional woman, a member of the British upper classes, he would never have had the chance to escape the institution that, in his heart of hearts, he still blames for the loss of his mother. In some ways, Meghan is for Harry the ultimate excuse for an opt-out. She may be the catalyst, but she's not the cause.
It also, perhaps, explains why he has, time and again, ridden to her defence so passionately. Through her, he has seized the chance to hit back at all the injustices he perceives as having persecuted his late mother, to do for Meghan what as a young boy he could never do for Diana.
On a more straightforward level, to see someone you love judged because of who and what you stand for is so very hard, especially when you have no say in the matter.
Harry was raised to this life, he did not choose it; he has, for all his faults, endured great personal suffering because of it. And to have to stand by and watch it make the woman he loves so clearly unhappy must be agonising.
It is this, I think, that explains his decision. And also, looking back over the past 18 months, his gradual detachment from his family – his brother William, to whom he has always been so close, his father Charles – and some of his oldest friends.
And at the very least he could have warned them of his sudden departure plans. Fired up with a determination to make a success of his marriage at all costs, to succeed where his father failed, he has turned his back on so much of what made him.
It is also why, since he married Meghan, we have witnessed the birth of a new Harry, one shaped less in the image of his own family and more in the mould of Meghan and her fashionable and wealthy international circle.
The woke, somewhat humourless and very entitled Harry we see before us now is almost unrecognisable as the fellow we knew and loved.
Of course, people grow up, they change. We can't forever expect him to be happy-go-lucky Harry. But still, it's quite a transformation. And so it's goodbye Windsor, hello Winnipeg, or whatever corner of North America where they feel most at home. What else is there to say, save to offer our best hopes for happiness with their son. And perhaps to add: be careful what you wish for.
Their very starry new social circle: From the Clooneys to Oprah, ALISON BOSHOFF reveals the not-so regal A-list celebrity set who'll welcome them with open arms
Best friends: Meghan Markle with Jessica Mulroney
Starting at their wedding in May 2018 – which featured a startling number of celebrity pals of the bride – it was abundantly clear that the Sussexes were forging a starry new social circle, away from stuffier royal circles and Harry's old school and Army pals.
The friends with whom they will be spending more time and, quite possibly, striking high-profile media deals, are the image of what Harry and Meghan want to become.
They are super-successful career-minded sophisticates, based internationally, who have both giant incomes and impressive portfolios of charity work.
Oprah Winfrey – who it appears had barely met Meghan in 2018 (although she had done yoga on her lawn with Meghan's mum Doria) – has already snagged Harry to contribute to an Apple TV documentary about mental health.
Maybe she will be a conduit for further lucrative media work for the couple as they strive to gain that 'financial independence' of the statement. Certainly, she remains the 'Queen' in America, where she has a $340million fortune and her own TV network and is generally rated as the most influential woman in media.
Meghan is also very close to Oprah's best friend and confidante Gayle King, a TV news anchor with CBS. Gayle spent time with the couple at Frogmore as they awaited the birth of Archie. She was among the invited few who came to that baby shower in New York – an event which, curiously, Meghan's mother did not attend. She will be well placed to smooth their path into any media outlet you could name and there will be no shortage of others to advise them.
So who are the starry bunch who will be sustaining them on this journey out of the Royal Family and into the sparkling if shallow waters of Hollywood, Toronto and all points West?
Meghan and Harry have made it their business to befriend only those with impeccable political and social credentials. No dodgy oligarchs for them.
Barack and Michelle Obama are friends. The former president and his wife hold them in dear esteem and Michelle met up with Meghan while she was in the UK to promote her autobiography, Becoming, last year.
Mrs Obama was reportedly 'instrumental' in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's romance – although it's not clear quite what part she played.
The Obamas and the Prince were first brought together by the Invictus Games, created by Harry for injured, sick or disabled military personnel and veterans.
Wedding guests: The Clooneys, and Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian will be among the star-studded set who welcome the Sussexes
At the second Games in Florida in 2016, Michelle took part in numerous events and said of Harry: 'He truly is Prince Charming'. In return, the Prince lent support to her 'Full Effect' education programme for under-privileged teenagers.
GEORGE AND AMAL Clooney attended the royal wedding in May 2018. It seems that it is barrister Amal, who grew up in Buckinghamshire, who fostered the friendship after being introduced to Meghan by mutual friends at the exclusive London private members club, Soho House. She has since opened her contacts book to Meghan, recommending everyone from hair stylists to interior designers and key staff members. In August 2018, the pair spent a long weekend with actor George and Amal at the Clooneys holiday home on Lake Como, Italy.
Perhaps more surprising is the inclusion of David and Victoria Beckham, actor, comedian and chat show host James Corden and his wife Julia, and fashion designer Misha Nonoo and her billionaire oil heir husband Mike Hess. This new social landscape took shape in 2018 when Prince Harry and Meghan based themselves in a rented house in Oxfordshire.
Meghan's close friends, the tennis star Serena Williams, and the Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, were entertained at Soho Farmhouse by the couple.
They also saw Jessica Mulroney, Meghan's best friend for years and sometime stylist. She is based in Toronto and it is here that the Royal couple are expected to buy a temporary base.
Pre-Harry, Meghan spent many weekends in Toronto enjoying family time with her and her husband Ben, a TV anchor, and son of the former Canadian PM. Their children John, Brian, and Ivy were among the page boys and flower girls at the Royal wedding and regard Meghan as an honorary aunt.
Meghan's best friend, Markus Anderson, who works for the Soho House group, remains a key member of the Duchess's 'support team' and regularly socialises with the Royal couple.
It was Anderson who invited her to join Soho House in Toronto four years ago when she was a little known TV actress based there and he facilitated all of Harry and Meghan's early dates at Soho Houses in London and in Oxfordshire. He also arranged her low-key hen weekend celebrations – at Soho Farmhouse of course –and persuaded the pair to attend the boozy launch of the new Soho House in Amsterdam.
Markus is also very good friends with New York-based fashion designer Misha Nonoo, who is said to have introduced the couple to each other. She and Harry went to Misha's wedding.
The royal couple are also close to James Corden and his wife Julia. James made a speech at the eoyal wedding dressed as King Henry VIII, at the reception. Julia now has a new job running the interior design company Charles & Co with Vicky Charles, who used to oversee all Soho House interior design. She is said to have lent her touch to the Sussexes' house at Frogmore.
Advice on bicontinental living and its complexities can be offered by the Beckhams, who spend time in LA where they used to live, and Miami where David has a football team, as well as having a barn conversion just around the corner from Soho Farmhouse.
Harry is particularly close to the former footballer whom he has known for years through charitable causes, while fashion designer Victoria has become a huge fan of Meghan's. The entire Beckham clan went to Australia to support Harry at the Invictus Games – for which David is an ambassador – in Sydney.
Other friends include Stella McCartney, another Soho Farmhouse regular, often with her young family in tow.
Meghan has passed through her professional life forging and, if necessary, dropping various friends.
The broadcaster Piers Morgan was once a contact and recipient of her charm when she was a relative nobody on Suits. After she met Harry, he was dropped. Socialite Lizzy Cundy was introduced to her at a charity event pre-Harry: Lizzy says that they were friends but that she too was sent into social Siberia once starrier prospects hove into view.
And the story has been repeated. Others who have proved not quite Meghan's cup of chai soy latte are Harry's old crowd of drinking buddies like Guy Pelly, Tom and Lara Inskip and Astrid Harbord. Friends in this set were grumbling last summer that they 'never saw Harry any more. 'He's even thought to have given up shooting under the influence of Meghan, which put him firmly out of those circles in any case. They will surely see even less of him now.
As another royal departs with an American divorcee... History is repeating — but AN WILSON believes it may be for the best
This can only be described as an abdication. Meghan and Harry have in effect withdrawn from their royal duties and will spend a large part of their future lives in North America.
It is hard not to feel history repeating itself. Even the wedding car that drove the future Duchess of Sussex to be married to Prince Harry in St George's Chapel, Windsor, was the very car that drove Wallis Simpson to attend the funeral of her husband, the former Edward VIII.
In 1936, the immensely popular, lovable new king had renounced the throne because he wanted to marry Mrs Simpson, an American divorcee. That event is seared into the consciousness of the Royal Family: it has obsessed them ever since.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their engagement announcement at Kensington Palace in November 2017
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex visit to Cape Town, South Africa, last September (right) and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor standing on stone steps in an undated photo (left)
The explanation given at the time was that Edward was to be the head of the Church of England, which forbade divorce.
But behind this convenient excuse, the Establishment wanted rid of Edward VIII. They found his fascist-sympathising politics dodgy and they feared his outspoken, witty wife. They felt much safer with the shy, stammering Duke of York and his homely, aristocratic Scottish wife, who became our beloved Queen Mum.
Harry and Meghan's 'abdication' is of course nowhere near as dramatic as Edward VIII's was 84 years ago. Yet there seems little doubt that their decision has shocked Buckingham Palace and the wider Royal Family as it has shocked the country.
It has been suggested that Meghan and Harry made their bombshell announcement without consulting the Queen. If true, that is, in my view, an atrocious lapse of judgment. The wording from the Palace last night, that 'these are complicated issues that will take time to work through', hints that the decision to abandon their royal duties is perhaps not as final as Meghan and Harry might wish it to be. Yet, for all that, I believe that this may prove to be for the best.
Meghan Markle and mother Doria Ragland leaving Cliveden House Hotel en route to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for her wedding in 2018
Unlike the Abdication of 1936, which really was an existential crisis for the Royal Family and which led to the entirely unexpected ascension of George VI to the throne, this 'abdication' will strengthen the institution of the monarchy.
When Harry and Meghan had their very public wedding – Meghan, like Wallis, was 34 when she met her future royal husband – many of us felt that a new chapter had been opened in the history of the Windsors. Here was a breath of fresh air: a feminist, mixed-race American who had established a career for herself as an actress, joining a slightly stuffy English family. Yet the love affair between Meghan and the British press was doomed to be short-lived.
The truth is that this charming, intelligent, beautiful woman hadn't a clue what the monarchy really is, or what role minor members of the Royal Family have to play in public life. For his part, Harry perhaps didn't fully understand his own role as a younger son. Both seemed oblivious to the fact that the British monarchy is a delicate constitutional miracle, not a vehicle for its members to press home their views on the subjects that interest them, however noble.
A minor royal such as Harry or Meghan (Harry is now sixth in line to the throne) essentially exists to be on standby for public engagements that senior royals are too busy to fulfil. They must also keep their views private. Yet Meghan, as befitting her role as a socially conscious and ambitious career woman, wanted her views on everything from climate change to women's rights to be centre stage. Sooner or later, this lovable pair – the playboy prince with heroic war service behind him and the glamorous Californian – were perhaps always going to come a cropper.
The wedding car that drove the future Duchess of Sussex to be married to Prince Harry in St George's Chapel, Windsor, was the very car (above) that drove Wallis Simpson to attend the funeral of her husband, the former Edward VIII
This sort-of abdication, this sort-of exile, allows Harry and Meghan to continue supporting their favourite charities and promoting the causes in which they so passionately believe.
Their millions of fans around the world will go on adoring them wherever they appear. Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, the Windsor show goes on.
As the Queen's prodigiously long reign comes slowly to an end, it has become ever clearer that the monarchy is a central part of our constitution and our life as a nation.
But, as Prince Andrew's disgrace last year made plain, we do not want that treasured institution to be confused by the low – or indeed high – view we might have, as readers of newspapers and followers of the media, of individual minor royals. There are now very many minor royals, living sensible lives away from the glare of the media.
That is how it should be. All that matters for the monarchy to flourish is for the succession to work.
One day the Queen will be succeeded. King Charles III will presumably have a short reign, but few people now doubt his suitability for the role; objections to the marital status of the Duchess of Cornwall are nowadays few.
Next come Prince William and Kate Middleton, who have been exemplary, behaving with good humour, loyalty and dignity on all occasions, and providing us with an heir to this wonderful institution.
That's enough. We do not need 'the Royal Family', that rather bogus concept invented by Prince Albert, with all its extended members compelled to feel as if they are on parade.
We in turn – especially we of the Press – have felt it was our right to pry into their personal affairs, for the very good reason that, until recently, so many of them were living on the Civil List, paid for by you and me.
Only a pared-down royal family will allow this institution to survive long into this century. Only Princes Charles, William and George are preparing for – and being groomed to – wear the crown. All the other figures are walk-on parts in the royal soap opera.
So, farewell, Harry and Meghan. And good luck. Your departure will give you the chance to live your lives without the awkward sense that you have no clear role to play in British public life.
And – as you would surely wish – it will strengthen the institution from which you have so dramatically stepped down.
This was a shoddy way to treat the Queen, writes ROBERT HARDMAN... Yes, the monarchy will survive but what will the true cost be of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle turning their backs on the Firm?
The New Year has barely begun and the royal commentators are already dusting off the 'annus horribilis' moniker again.
For it is hard to see last night's decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from the Royal Family as anything other than the start of a process with which the whole country is all too wearily familiar.
Brexit will not be the only seismic departure for which January 2020 is long remembered.
Turning their backs: The Duke and Duchess's departure from their senior roles and subsequent Fab Four is how the start of 2020 will be remembered. A joint approach will be needed to handle this predicament similarly to Prince Andrew's disastrous interview to Newsnight
However, let us be clear: though this is the prelude to much anguish for the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, the monarchy is not in crisis. The direct line — reinforced just last week with another enchanting portrait of the Queen and heirs one to three — is as sturdy as it was yesterday morning. This is not an Edward and Wallis moment. This is not 'Rexit'.
The sixth-in-line to the throne and his wife have decided to declare unilateral independence from a thousand-year-old institution on their own terms.
Coming just a month after another second son — Prince Andrew — inflicted a very different sort of damage on the institution, it is going to require some hard talking and painful home truths.
Just as the Queen and the Prince of Wales had to join forces to deal with the crisis created by the Duke of York following his disastrous interview to Newsnight, so there will need to be a joint approach in their handling of this predicament.
The Sussexes will be mortified even to be compared to the Duke of York, of course. But there can no longer be any question of letting 'Harry be Harry' and hoping it all just goes away.
There are also political implications here which have clearly been given zero consideration by the Duke and Duchess, as we shall see.
The Queen (pictured watching a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London on July 10, 2018) could end up being dragged in to politics as the Royal family tries to organise Harry and Meghan's overseas semi-royal business
Last night's statement followed the most preliminary of internal discussions — between officials — about how the Sussexes might forge a new modus vivendi. With little more than a few outline thoughts on the table, the couple then took it upon themselves to lay out their future as some sort of done deal with just a few loose ends to be sorted out.
Inside the Palace, the calmest courtiers sigh through gritted teeth that things are 'complicated'. In understated Palacespeak, that boils down to an expasperated: 'We haven't a clue what the hell is going on.'
The Royal couple hold their baby boy Archie during a photocall in St Georges Hall at Windsor Castle
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released this statement this evening announcing that they will be quitting as senior Royals
'It's just not fair on the Queen. It is disrespectful of her,' says one insider. Another goes so far as to call it 'a shoddy way to treat the Sovereign'.
The anger inside royal HQ is palpable. These are wounds that will not heal easily.
However honourable and well-intentioned Harry and Meghan's intentions to continue 'to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages', the very idea is fraught with contradictions. And that is before we even get to the all-important subject of money.
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Meghan Duchess of Sussex reacts as they leave after her visit to Canada House in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada
Royal duty is all or nothing. It is not something one 'honours' when one happens to be in a particular time zone. In referring to their future trans-Atlantic existence, the Sussexes have pointedly referred to 'North America' rather than Canada.
While Canada is in the Commonwealth, the U.S. is not. So what happens when duty calls in the UK or elsewhere in the Commonwealth and you are already committed to a red-carpet do in Hollywood?
Even more nebulous is the Sussexes' claim that 'we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution'.
The whole point of a monarchy is that it does not do 'progressive new roles'. It is not the regal wing of the Liberal Democrats. It stands for stability and continuity.
It has to move with the times, of course, and it must never be a barrier to progress. It should always seek to assist it; witness the work of organisations such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Prince's Trust.
Rumours abounded before they confirmed this evening that they would be splitting their time between the UK and North America. Here they are pictured in Sydney, Australia, on October 19 last year
But it is not for members of the family to rewrite the compact between royalty and state which has evolved over centuries purely because they feel put-upon by the media.
And it is even more damaging to do it in public without having the courtesy to tell the family first.
Though the Sussexes were clearly aggrieved that talk of their plans had leaked to a newspaper yesterday, it has dismayed the rest of the family that their solution has been to chuck the whole thing into the open. That is not the royal way.
Harry and Meghan (pictured on December 21, 2019) 'have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution'. The whole point of a monarchy is that it does not do 'progressive new roles'. It is not the regal wing of the Liberal Democrats
As always in such matters, it is money which goes to the heart of the problem. It is very admirable of the couple to 'work to become financially independent' but that is a notoriously difficult path to tread. The Earl and Countess of Wessex found that some years ago when they did their best to pursue commercial careers but were accused of exploiting royal connections. They felt they had no option but to revert to the tried and tested template of the 'working royal' and they have been a great asset to the institution ever since. It may be a life of privilege, funded largely by the Queen from the Privy Purse and not from public funds, but it is a life governed by codes and expectations and strict limits on the use of royal status.
The Prince of Wales (pictured, alongside William, George and The Queen is already moving closer to adopting a modern 'Prince Regent' role, which would see him control day-to-day royal affairs while his mother remains monarch
The Sussexes' position is not sustainable. If a member of the family seeks true financial independence, making a living from non-royal activities, accusations of exploiting the royal brand are inevitable. That, in turn, can tarnish the rest of The Firm.
One royal insider warns that this could lead to something the Queen has spent her whole life trying to avoid – being dragged in to politics. For when it comes to semi-royalty, who pays for what? When the Home Secretary is pressed to find cuts in the police budget, it will be hard to fall back on the old standard reply that 'we never comment on royal security'. What about semi-royal security? And how are British – or 'North American' - embassies and high commissions supposed to respond when the Sussexes decide to travel overseas on semi-royal business? It has been a question which diplomats have sometimes raised with the Foreign Office in connection with the Duke of York's travel overseas but the global profile of Sussexes is of an entirely different order of magnitude.
Friends of the Sussexes have heard the Duke angrily pointing out in private that very little of his costs fall on the taxpayer anyway. However, though most of the costs of his growing household currently fall on the Duchy of Cornwall – and will fall on the King in a future reign – there are still demands on the public purse for security, royal residences, royal transport and staff.
All these things could have been addressed and, in large part, resolved if negotiations within the Palace had been continued in private. However, as the Sussexes are about to find out, negotiating in public is much harder.
Meghan signing a guestbook at Canada House. The couple both appeared to be refreshed and in high spirits following their break
There is, however, a precedent for all this. Some, no doubt, will point to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor as a royal couple who ended up in semi-detached self-imposed exile through their love for one another but, in truth, their predicament bears no comparison. It was imposed on them by constitutional necessity.
No one is telling Harry and Meghan to go. They are a not an embarrassment to the Monarchy but an adornment. What makes this whole business so sad is the luminous sense of promise less than two years ago on that magical day at Windsor Castle as more than a billion people looked on around the world.
Meghan will be closer to her celebrity friends Beyonce and Jay-Z (pictured at the European premiere of The Lion King in July, 2019). In referring to their future trans-Atlantic existence, the Sussexes have pointedly referred to 'North America' rather than Canada
Almost exactly 100 years before another member of the Royal Family was getting married. But HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught had elected to make a choice in 1919.
Back then, the daughter of Queen Victoria's third son was expected to marry royalty and had once been tipped as a future Tsarina of Russia.
Instead, she chose to marry a (very posh) commoner, Alexander Ramsay, at Westminster Abbey.
In doing so, she readily agreed to surrender her royal styles and titles on her wedding day, though not her place in the line of succession.
She was given the title of 'Lady Patricia' for the rest of her life.
As such, she is the only member of the family who has entered a church as a Princess and left as 'Lady'.
I doubt it is a template which will appeal to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
But that is the clearest example of someone offloading the 'senior' royal status which Harry and Meghan wish to shelve.
How pointless all that talk of a 'slimmed-down Royal Family' looks now.
With three 'senior' members of the family now out of the frame – the Duke of York very much against his wishes and the Sussexes by their own design – that crucial but unsung day-to-day work of regional visits and generally representing the Monarch will now land on fewer shoulders.
The Queen will now be more grateful than ever for the oft-neglected input of the Princess Royal, the Wessexes and the cousins, royalty who seldom flourish in the spotlight but who now, more than ever, will be needed to help to keep the show on the road.
That show will go on, of course, because it always has and because this is an institution that has always been far stronger than any individual.
The £10million property where Meghan and Harry spent six weeks over Christmas and New Year
Harry, Meghan and Archie are understood to have up to six permanent Metropolitan Police bodyguards, funded by the taxpayer. The officers (pictured) are estimated to earn more than £100,000 a year including overtime
Her Majesty pays Harry and William jointly £5million from the £82million annual Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer
When Edward VIII (pictured with his wife Wallis Simpson in 1936) he still received millions a year from the Duchy of Cornwall estate and it would be unlikely that Charles would cut off his youngest son from this seven-figure income
The Prince of Wales (pictured, alongside William, George and The Queen is already moving closer to adopting a modern 'Prince Regent' role, which would see him control day-to-day royal affairs while his mother remains monarch
The Queen (pictured with Prince William, Prince George and Prince Charles in a photograph released this month) expects her family to do their 'duty' and would probably be asked for her blessing by Harry,
Harry and Meghan's Royal romance: From a star-studded wedding and the birth of Archie to a 'rift' with Prince William and controversy over their bid to 'modernise' the monarchy
By Chloe Morgan and Bridie Pearson-Jones for MailOnline
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they will be stepping back as senior royals - after a whirlwind two years in the public eye.
The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, who made their first ever appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto on 25 September 2017, have squeezed in endless memorable moments in the time that has followed.
Among their jam-packed schedule includes their official engagement announcement in November 2017, and the multi-cultural and US-influenced wedding that followed at Windsor Castle, on May 2018.
The star-studded day was filled with VIP guests and dominated by Hollywood stars including the Clooneys, the Beckhams, Idris Elba, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hardy and James Corden.
Other highlights since their big day include Meghan's lavish baby shower trip to New York, which is thought to have cost more than $500,000 (£380,000), Archie's birth on 6 May 2019, and their 10-day tour of Africa as a family late last year.
Here, FEMAIL looks back at the Duke and Duchess' engagements since the first moment they stepped into the public eye together.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watched Wheelchair Tennis at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada on 25 September 2017 - in what marked their first public appearance together
FIRST PUBLIC EVENT, 25 September 2017
Hand in hand, Prince Harry proudly brought his girlfriend Meghan Markle to a highly public tennis match on 25 September 2017 at the Invictus Games in Toronto - marking their first official appearance together as a couple.
The Suits star made an intriguing outfit choice, sporting a a £221 (retailing for $185 in the States) white shirt named The Husband, designed by her friend Misha Nonoo whose former spouse went to Eton with William and Harry, along with sunglasses and ripped blue jeans.
Their appearance was seen as a sign that an engagement was on the cards for the couple, and within hours of them stepping out together bookies Ladbrokes suspended betting on an engagement announcement.
The love birds arrived, fingers entwined, to the Invictus Games semi-final, in full view of members of the public and photographers.
The couple put on a show of togetherness with Harry leaning close to chat to his then-girlfriend during proceedings on 25 September 2017
What a loved-up pair! Prince Harry eschewed royal formality as he affectionately kissed Meghan on the head while holding hands as they made their way to their seat at the wheelchair tennis during today's Invictus Games in Toronto
ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT, 27 November 2017
Prince Harry told how he was 'thrilled' to be marrying Meghan Markle and admitted he knew the Suits star was 'the one' from 'the first day we met'.
Meghan also showed the world her engagement ring designed by Harry himself containing two diamonds from Princess Diana's own personal collection set in a gold band.
Harry looked nervous but happy as they made their first public appearance since the announcement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, much loved by his late mother Princess Diana.
His fiancee stroked his arm lovingly as they spoke to reporters, who asked him: 'When did you know she was the one?' and he replied: 'From the very first time we met'.
He refused to say how he proposed saying: 'That will come later' but when asked if it was romantic he said: 'Of course it was' - but the couple didn't kiss for the cameras.
The prince said he was 'thrilled, over the moon' adding: 'Very glad it's not raining as well.' Meghan said she was 'so happy, thank you' before they wandered back into Kensington Palace beaming.
THE ROYAL WEDDING, 19 May 2018
Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in a multi-cultural and US-influenced wedding at Windsor Castle on 19 May, 2018.
The newlyweds shared tears, laughter and a passionate kiss in front of their hundreds of VIP guests dominated by Hollywood stars including the Clooneys, the Beckhams, Idris Elba, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hardy and James Corden.
Elton John, who sang at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, performed at the lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen in a poignant nod to Harry's late mother.
All the senior British royals were also there to support the couple including Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, Harry's best man Prince William and his wife Kate, who brought George and Charlotte but left baby Louis with the nanny.
Meghan became the first mixed-race member of the royal family in an extraordinary journey for a girl born in LA to a white father and African-American mother who fought her way through the tough world of showbusiness to land a plum role in the TV series Suits.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walked down the steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, following their wedding on May 19, 2018
FIRST OUTING AS THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX, 22 May 2018
Meghan Markle made her first outing as the Duchess of Sussex on 22 May 2018 as the newlyweds arrived at Prince Charles's 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess of Sussex was given a warm welcome into the family, with Prince Harry explicitly referring to the garden party as a 'family celebration' during his speech.
Harry and Meghan enjoyed only a brief private getaway following their wedding, and delayed their full honeymoon to honour the Prince.
But their newlywed energy was on full display as she rubbed her hand up and down her husband's back as they made their way out.
The Duke and Duchess attended the Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration at Buckingham Palace in London on 22 May 2018, which was their first official engagement following their wedding
PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT AND FIRST ROYAL TOUR, October 2018
Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting in a statement via Kensington Palace on October 15, 2018.
The statement read: 'Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public'.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh said they were 'delighted' to be welcoming their eighth great-grandchild in a joint statement with Prince Charles, who became a grandfather for the fourth time when Baby Sussex was born.
Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland said she was 'very happy about this lovely news' and 'looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild'.
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were told in person at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle two days prior.
The baby news was released in a statement by Kensington Palace saying the baby was due in Spring 2019
Harry and Meghan attended the wedding of his cousin Princess Eugenie in Windsor on 12 October 2018 (pictured) - where they told the Queen and the royal family they were expecting and she was wearing a wide fitting coat
Rumours were rife that Meghan may be pregnant after her mother Doria Ragland was seen taking baby-care classes in Pasadena with a view to looking after her new grandchild.
The news came as the couple were seen beaming as they touched down in Sydney to start their three-week tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga - their first major international trip since they married in May.
They were later photographed holding hands in the grounds of Admiralty House, where the Queen stays Down Under, when their happy news was announced to the world.
Their 16-day tour of Australasia included a trip to Fiji and Tonga despite advice that pregnant women should not travel to the region because of its moderate Zika risk.
LAVISH BABY SHOWER, February 2019
At seven-months-pregnant, the Duchess of Sussex celebrated the impending arrival of her first child Archie with a lavish baby shower trip to New York, which is thought to have cost more than $500,000 (£380,000).
Meghan's pricey - but privately-funded - party, which took place in a $75,000-a-night penthouse, included a flower arranging class for guests, using a variety of blooms from Upper East Side florist Lady Fleur.
Guests at the lavish baby shower left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal's favourite products.
According to People, Serena Williams, Amal Clooney, and Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney were among the attendees who were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags.
Meghan Markle took a trip to New York where she hosted her lavish baby shower in February 2019
The Duchess of Sussex celebrated the impending arrival of the royal baby with a spectacular baby shower in New York, costing an estimated $500,000 (£380,000) in total
ARCHIE'S BIRTH, 6 May 2019
Prince Harry revealed his delight at baby Archie's arrival during a TV statement in which he heaped praise on his 'incredible' wife.
The Duke of Sussex announced that Meghan had given birth at 5.26am to a boy weighing 7lbs 3oz, having been more than a week overdue.
Prince Harry gushed that the 'little thing is absolutely to-die-for' as he announced the news on after Meghan went into labour in the early hours.
Speaking from Windsor at the time, a visibly-excited Prince Harry shared his immense pride as he joked of getting just two hours' sleep the night before, before calling the birth 'the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined'.
In a statement shortly after the birth was announced, Buckingham Palace said Meghan and her baby were 'both doing well', and that the Queen and other members of the royal family were 'delighted' with the news.
Speaking hours after his wife went into labour, an overjoyed Prince Harry (pictured) revealed that his wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy
FIRST PICTURES OF BABY ARCHIE, 8 MAY, 2019
Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance with baby Archie two days after he was born in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The move differed from the announcement of royal babies in the past, where new mothers had shown of their newborns on the steps of the hospital where they were born.
The baby boy was lovingly cradled by his adoring father and watched attentively by Meghan, who was herself pictured for the first time in over a month since withdrawing from public life ahead of the birth.
The couple appeared to be beside themselves with joy, giggling and looking into each other's eyes as they spoke, while Harry could not resist sneaking a peek down at his son as he apparently slept.
Speaking from inside the majestic St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, a radiant Meghan declared: 'It's magic, it's pretty amazing. He's just been the dream so it's been a special couple of days.
Baby Sussex (pictured) made his very first public appearance at a photocall alongside a thrilled Prince Harry and Meghan in the grounds of Windsor Castle
The world was given its first ever glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's newborn son on 8 May 2019 as his beaming parents finally showed off their 'own little bundle of joy' to millions of royal fans across the globe
'I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy. He has the sweetest temperament, he's really calm.'
As they both laughed, Harry said: 'I don't know who he gets that from.'
Asked who the baby takes after, Meghan said: 'We're still trying to figure that out.'
Harry said: 'Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks we're basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows.'
Asked how he found parenting, Harry added: 'It's great. Parenting is amazing. It's only been two and a half days, three days, but we're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.'
Harry said they were looking forward to spending some 'precious times with him as he slowly, slowly starts to grow up.'
Asked about going to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Meghan said: 'We just bumped into the duke as we were walking by which was so nice. So it'll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family and my mum's with us as well.'
CHRISTENING: JULY, 2019
Archie Mountbatten Windsor was christened exactly two months after he was born on July 6, last year.
The young royal was pictured sitting on the lap of his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, as she nestled into the shoulder of his father, the Duke of Sussex.
The image, shot against the opulence of Windsor Castle's Green Drawing Room, was one of warmth and family joy.
Archie did not be take an HRH title at the request of his parents but he did, however, enjoy all the trappings of a Royal christening.
This official christening photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows the Duke and Duchess with their son, Archie and (left to right) the Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, Ms Doria Ragland, Princess Diana's sisters Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duchess of Cambridge in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle
Finally baby Archie's face is revealed! The stunning snap shows off the adorable royal, with the little boy being held by mother Meghan Markle
He was wearing the cascading ivory Honiton lace and satin gown used for all Royal babies' baptisms since the reign of Queen Victoria. The one Archie wore is a 2008 copy of the 1841 original, and was handmade by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly.
The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, using the silver gilt Lily Font. Commissioned in 1840 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for the birth of their first child, it is part of the Crown Jewels and had been brought from the Tower of London for the occasion.
The names' of Archie's godparents have never been revealed, but Prince Harry's former nanny Tiggy Legge Bourke was among the 25 guests at the private event, sparking speculation she was godmother.
In the main picture, Archie is flanked by three of his proud grandparents, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland
In a touching tribute to Harry's mother, Princess Diana's sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale were prominent in the official picture.
In the second image, which was black and white, Meghan was seen gazing into Harry's eyes as the proud father looked down at Archie, while placing a hand on his wife's arm.
A second shot in black-and-white shows Meghan dressed in white gazing into Harry's eyes as she cradles baby Archie and her proud husband looks at their baby son. Windsor castle's Rose Garden can be seen in the background
Prince Harry's former nanny Tiggy Legge Bourke was among the 25 guests at the private event in Windsor today, sparking speculation she could be one of Archie's godparents
TOUR OF AFRICA WITH BABY ARCHIE, September 2019
At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Harry and Meghan visited South Africa, Malawi, Angola and Botswana between September 23 and October 2, 2019.
The royals took baby Archie, who was just four months at the time, along with them on the trip.
During the trip they unveiled three new Queens Commonwealth Canopy projects, protecting forests and planting trees, and worked with the British Government to announce investment of £8m in technology and skills in the region.
The Duke also travelled to Angola to focus on the ongoing mission to rid the world of landmines - following in the footsteps of the work that was pioneered by his mother, Diana.
But the highlight of the trip was when baby Archie made his first appearance by meeting one of the heroes of the anti-apartheid movement, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Sussexes released adorable footage of them carrying their four-month-old, with the caption, 'Arch meets Archie!'.
Video posted to their Instagram account shows the couple beaming as Meghan holds little Archie - who giggles at his mother - as they are greeted by Archbishop Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe.
Meghan joked with the Archbishop's daughter Thandeka Tutu Gxashe that the little royal would have to get used the cameras in his life, while Ms Tutu Gxashe joked little Archie was 'going to be a ladies' man'.
The veteran Nobel Peace Prize-winning anti-apartheid campaigner - who effectively became the leader of the liberation struggle during Nelson Mandela's long imprisonment - said he was 'thrilled by the 'rare privilege and honour' to meet the royals.
THE ITV DOCUMENTARY THAT FOLLOWED, 20 October 2019
In Tom Bradby's hour-long documentary, 'Harry & Meghan: An African Journey', which followed the royal couple during their official tour of Africa, Prince Harry admitted that he and William are travelling on 'different paths' in the first public acceptance of a rift between the brothers.
In a candid interview, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged there had been deepening tensions between himself and William, following months of speculation about the state of the brothers' relationship.
He made the comments in a TV documentary broadcast where he also attacked the press over the public scrutiny that he and wife Meghan Markle have faced.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took Archie on a tour of South Africa, Malawi, Angola and Botswana between September 23 and October 2, 2019. Pictured, during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town on 29 September 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met a group of dancers at the Nyanga Township in Cape Town, South Africa, on the first day of their tour of Africa on Monday September 23
Meghan met health workers and families during a visit to the mothers2mother charity organisation in Cape Town
Harry said: 'I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.'
The 35-year-old initially laughed in response to the question, then added: 'Part of this role, part of this job and this family being under the pressure it is under, inevitably stuff happens.
'But look, we are brothers, we will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and, as I know, he will always be there for me.'
He added: 'We don't see as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly and the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. As brothers, you have good days, you have bad days.'
Prince Harry refused to deny reports of a rift between himself and brother William in a candid interview
FINAL ENGAGEMENT BEFORE STEPPING BACK AS SENIOR ROYALS, 7 January 2020
Yesterday marked Prince Harry and Meghan's final appearance before stepping back as royals. They put on a public display of affection to thank the people of Canada for hosting their private holiday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands and walked closely next to each other as they visited Canada House to meet the country's High Commissioner in London, Janice Charette.
They were warmly greeted by Ms Charette and her deputy Sarah Fountain Smith, after saying they wanted to meet staff to 'thank them for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay'.
Meghan wore a mix of tans and camel colours for her appearance - pairing a coat from Reiss with a polo neck and £85 skirt from Massimo Dutti.
The Duchess was joined by Prince Harry at their first public appearance today marking the end of their six-weeks hiatus from royal duty - to thank the people of Canada for hosting their private holiday.
'That's what power looks like': Celebrities including Bette Midler, Jameela Jamil and Janina Gavankar ALL voice their support for Megxit after Meghan and Harry QUIT the Royal Family
By Marlene Lenthang for DailyMail.com
Celebrities have rallied behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their shock decision to quit as senior members of the Royal Family.
The royal couple stunned the globe on Wednesday when they announced they will step back from the family and split their time between the United Kingdom and North America - and become financially independent.
Within minutes reactions poured in on social media, some criticizing the power couple and other praising them for carving out their own paths and breaking away from tradition.
But A-listers were among the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's most vocal supporters.
The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil voiced her support tweeting, 'And that folks, is what power looks like' followed with a crown emoji.
Piers Morgan raged against the decision joking 'What Meghan wants..Meghan gets.'
Journalist Maria Shriver threw her support behind the royal couple saying: 'The news just now that the @sussexroyal, aka Meghan and Harry are stepping back is big news! What I take away is that they are stepping up in their own lives in a way that works for them. They want to make their own way.'
Morgan went so far as to compare the couple to Putin
Singer Bette Midler expressed her sympathy for the Meghan saying: 'What a sad story. They hounded and bullied her until it was no longer tenable to stay, just like Diana. They'll never learn until it hits them in the wallet.'
While most of Meghan's closest friends and Suits cast are yet to comment on their big decision, one of her pals actress Janina Gavankar shared the announcement on Instagram in a subtle act of support.
However, there's no word yet from Meghan's power friends fashion consultant Jessica Mulroney, designer Misha Nonoo, tennis champ Serena Williams, actress Abigail Spencer.
Author Roxanne Gay tweeted her support saying: 'Good for Meghan and Harry opting out of the UK tabloids staggering racism and the lack of support from the royal family. They will be fine.'
Journalist Julia Baird tweeted: 'Am waiting for people to accuse Meghan Markle of being the Yoko Ono of the Royal Family'
Columnist Matt Chorley joked: 'Hang on, this means Meghan can play Meghan in The Crown, doesn't it'
Controversial pundit Candace Owens condemned the decision saying: 'Three months ago I publicly stated that Meghan's obvious play was to convince Prince Harry to quit his role and to instead step into the A-list Hollywood life that she's always wanted. Meghan never wanted to be royal. She has always wanted fame. Mission accomplished'
Comedian Amy Schumer reacted to the news by announcing an end to her own 'royal duties'
Comedian Amy Schumer reacted to the news by announcing the end of her own 'royal duties' in a snarky Instagram post.
Journalist Maria Shriver threw her support behind the royal couple saying: 'The news just now that the @sussexroyal, aka Meghan and Harry are stepping back is big news! What I take away is that they are stepping up in their own lives in a way that works for them. They want to make their own way.'
'Oftentimes, you have to step back, reflect, reassess, and reenter in a new way. Let's wish them well. Let's root for them. I'm sure they are trying to carve out their own lives, while also being of service to their larger duty. It's never easy but possible,' she added.
But not everyone was supportive of the groundbreaking decision.
Author Roxanne Gay tweeted her support saying: 'Good for Meghan and Harry opting out of the UK tabloids staggering racism and the lack of support from the royal family. They will be fine'
Singer Bette Midler expressed her sympathy for the couple saying: 'What a sad story. They hounded and bullied her until it was no longer tenable to stay, just like Diana. They'll never learn until it hits them in the wallet.'
The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil voiced her support tweeting, 'And that folks, is what power looks like' followed with a crown emoji
While most of Meghan's closest friends and Suits cast are yet to comment on their big decision, one of her pals actress Janina Gavankar shared the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's announcement on Instagram
Piers Morgan tweeted: 'What Meghan wants...Meghan gets.'
Controversial pundit Candace Owens condemned the decision saying: 'Three months ago I publicly stated that Meghan's obvious play was to convince Prince Harry to quit his role and to instead step into the A-list Hollywood life that she's always wanted. Meghan never wanted to be royal. She has always wanted fame. Mission accomplished.'
Hours after the announcement Buckingham Palace released their own statement saying that the Royal Family was at 'an early stage' of discussing potential plans to step back as senior members of the family with Harry and Meghan.
'Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a difference approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,' the statement said.
Following that news, show writer Camilla Blackett tweeted: 'Omg so Harry & Meghan didn't even get permission, they just ghosted! This tea is delicious!'
While it's not clear just where the couple might settle down, there's widespread speculation Prince Harry and Meghan may live in the west.
If they do put down roots in Canada it would likely be in Toronto, where Meghan lived for seven years while filming Suits and where she and Harry fell in love. She has often referred to Canada as her 'second home' after Britain.
Or they could go to Vancouver, where they spent Christmas at a lavish $14million mansion.
Stateside, the top contender would be Los Angeles, where Meghan was born and her mother, Doria Ragland, still lives.
Another option would be New York City, where many of the couple's close friends live and the site of Meghan's baby shower last year.
Harry and Meghan will be holding onto Frogmore Cottage, their current home in Windsor, England. The couple recently spent more than $3million of taxpayers' money refurbishing the home, which was a gift from the Queen.
Where will Harry and Meghan live when they quit the Royal Family? Couple could relocate to Toronto or Vancouver after falling in love with Canada - but LA or New York might also be on the cards but say they will KEEP their country cottage in Windsor
By Megan Sheets for DailyMail.com
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell announcement that they've stepped back from royal duties and will split their time between the United Kingdom and North America has been met with widespread speculation over where the couple will live in the west.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their announcement in a post on their official Instagram account on Wednesday.
It came amid rumors that the couple were considering relocating to Canada - which California-native Meghan openly refers to as her 'second home' after Britain.
Harry and Meghan would naturally be drawn to Toronto, the city where they enjoyed a secret courtship of five months before their relationship was revealed to the world in October 2016
If they do put down roots in Canada it would likely be in Toronto, where Meghan lived for seven years while filming Suits and where she and Harry fell in love.
Or they could go to Vancouver, where they spent Christmas at a lavish $14million mansion.
Stateside, the top contender would be Los Angeles, where Meghan was born and her mother, Doria Ragland, still lives.
Another option would be New York City, where many of the couple's close friends live and the site of Meghan's baby shower last year.
Harry and Meghan will be holding onto Frogmore Cottage, their current home in Windsor, England. The couple recently spent more than $3million of taxpayers' money refurbishing the home, which was a gift from the Queen.
TORONTO
Harry and Meghan would naturally be drawn to Toronto, the city where they enjoyed a secret courtship of five months before their relationship was revealed to the world in October 2016.
Meghan, who was born and raised in California, considered it her home town after filming seven seasons of Suits there.
Harry first met her in May 2016 when he was in Toronto to promote his Invictus Games for wounded servicemen.
Meghan, who was born and raised in California, considered it her home town after filming seven seasons of Suits there. The Toronto skyline is seen in a file photo
The pair were set up on a blind date by a female friend, believed to be fashion designer Mischa Nonoo, and 'met for a drink' in a Toronto bar.
They then spent the rest of 2016 meeting almost every two weeks, with Harry secretly flying to see her as she couldn't leave the city because of her Suits commitments. They were holed up together in her flat with her dog Bogart and lived, largely, like a royal couple.
Describing their relationship, Harry has said: 'I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly... All the stars were aligned - everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life - I fell into her life.'
Meghan's former home in Toronto's Annex neighborhood is pictured
Meghan lived in a two-story home in Toronto's Annex neighborhood.
Her old pad is no longer available, however, having been sold to an anonymous buyer for $1.6million in January 2018.
Meghan's best friend and bridesmaid Jessica Mulroney - who was rumored to have introduced her to Harry - lives in Toronto with her husband Ben and their three children.
Meghan and Harry reportedly hid out at the Mulroneys' home in Moore Park after news of their relationship broke.
Jessica Mulroney is good friends with Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian leader welcomed the Sussexes to the country when they visited last month.
'Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie, we're all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada. You're among friends, and always welcome here,' he tweeted on December 20.
Another one of Meghan's close friends, Markus Anderson, is a Canadian consultant for the private SoHo House in downtown Toronto.
Meghan reportedly frequented the SoHo House when she lived in Toronto, and was also said to spend time at Trinity Bellwoods Park and Kensington Market.
Immediately after announcing their withdrawal from royal duties, Meghan and Harry published a website which explained how they will go about media relations going forward.
Tellingly, they used Toronto-based web developer Article to design the site.
The average price of a three-bedroom condo in Toronto is $600,000.
VANCOUVER
Harry and Meghan's decision to head to Vancouver for Christmas last month could indicate that it's a contender for their next stage.
The couple and baby Archie enjoyed all the luxuries on offer at a $14million waterfront mansion in one of the most idyllic spots on Vancouver Island - and are even believed to have taken their two dogs over with them, too.
They were also seen out hiking locally with friends, including actress Abigail Spencer, a friend of former actress Meghan's from her days on the television drama Suits, with Meghan even offering to take a picture for one stunned couple they met who were struggling with their selfie stick.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent their first Christmas with baby Archie in a $14.1 million waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island in Canada
They also posted a picture on Instagram of a delighted Harry holding his son, Archie, taken during their holiday to the delight of fans on New Year's Eve.
Vancouver also has a high 'hipster' and in 2018 Goop, the controversial lifestyle brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, held its annual 'wellness summit' in the city with meditation sessions, workouts, and yoga classes, a pursuit loved by Meghan.
Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada for cost of living - and the luxury they are used in the United States will cost them millions of dollars.
LOS ANGELES
While it's a long commute to the UK, it's possible that the Sussexes will put down roots in Southern California so they can raise baby Archie near his maternal grandmother, Doria Ragland.
The couple visited Ragland in Los Angeles over Thanksgiving.
Back in August, insiders claimed that the couple were house-hunting in the celebrity enclave of Malibu.
Cafe owner Edmund Fry, 79, who first met Meghan when he taught her royal etiquette at his English tea room Rose Tree Cottage in Los Angeles, told The Daily Express at the time: 'Meghan and Harry are looking for a place out here. I have heard that they are interested in Malibu.
Back in August, insiders claimed that the couple were house-hunting in the celebrity enclave of Malibu (pictured in a file photo)
'Knowing Meghan and talking to her, she misses home. Meghan is a Los Angeles girl, born and raised here with many links to Hollywood and friends here.'
Fry continued: 'It is possible to live stress-free and out of the glare of publicity here. LA and California are so huge, it is easy to escape to places with your family and just blend in with everyone.'
He said Meghan's Los Angeles business friends had been scouting the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu for potential places for the royal couple.
A source also told the New York Post: 'Meghan is, at heart, an LA girl, she cares about money, power and prestige.
'Meghan really wants to live in California, it's where she is from and where her mother lives,' another source close to the couple said.
'She likes the lifestyle and the privacy there. She has been getting advice on the move from close friends, including Oprah and the Clooneys, and they have encouraged her that she and Harry can step away from the royal family and follow their own path.'
Malibu is situated 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles and is home to many celebrity stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, and Jennifer Aniston.
The average three-bedroom house price on the California coastline can cost up to $7million.
NEW YORK CITY
While Meghan's extended family resides on the West Coast, there's a chance she, Harry and Archie will end up in New York City, where the actress has many friends.
She traveled to Manhattan last February for her baby shower - a star-studded event rumored to have cost $300,000.
The shower was hosted by Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and Jessica Mulroney. Other VIPs included TV anchor Gayle King and designer Misha Nonoo.
Meghan returned to New York City in September for the US Open.
The Duchess has previously mentioned her affection for Brooklyn, describing it as a great place to eat and drink.
While Meghan's extended family resides on the West Coast, there's a chance she, Harry and Archie will end up in New York City, where the actress has many friends. The Manhattan skyline is seen above in a file photo
Meghan traveled to Manhattan last February for her baby shower - a star-studded event rumored to have cost $300,000
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