Queen Was Reportedly Unprepared for Harry and Meghan's Announcement To Step Down, Issues Response
As any mother-in-law knows, when your son marries someone, that person begins to affect family dynamics in an entirely new way.
The changes aren’t always positive, but they’re not always negative, either: They’re the result of two families with separate traditions and lifestyles coming together and deciding what they will carry on and what they will adjust.
That change is only magnified when a little one comes along.
At that point there are (generally) two sets of grandparents vying for time, and the further they are from one another, the more difficult it can become for the new family to choose who to spend holidays with or where to live.
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All of those issues come to a head for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — but an immense amount of pressure and decorum is added, as well.
Not only are they still navigating married life and parenting (enough of a challenge on its own), but they have royal expectations to fulfill and are constantly under the world’s scrutiny.
To that end, the couple released a statement recently that highlighted how they will be choosing to live their lives across continents and cultures.
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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” they posted Wednesday through their Instagram account, sussexroyal.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”
They explained their plan was to split time between their homes in the U.K. and the U.S. while still “continuing to honour” their royal duties to “The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
The couple said the change was for several reasons, including the raising of their son.
They want him to experience both of his parents’ cultures, but they also announced plans to pursue a charitable endeavor.
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“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,” they concluded. “Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”
The news has people humming, whether with approval or disdain.
In a particularly British manner, it is unclear what exactly Her Majesty’s position on the matter is.
Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement, Buckingham Palace issued a cryptic but cautionary statement.
“We understand their desire to take a different approach but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,” the palace said in a statement, according to The New York Times. “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.”
Different outlets are choosing to highlight different portions of the Queen’s message, some pointing to “we understand,” arguably as a move to approve and support, while others note the hesitation in the “complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
Either way, one thing is for sure: There’s a sense of disappointment — or at least a hint of doubt — suggested in the very tactful public statement.
One source even told People that the announcement came as a surprise to many of the royals, including the Queen, Prince William and Prince Charles.
“There is a lot of hurt about this,” the source said, adding that the situation could have been handled differently and the rift “was so avoidable.”
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