Britain’s royal family was hurt and disappointed by the shock announcement by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, his wife, to step back from their roles as senior royals, a royal source said.
The couple had announced their intention to step back in a statement on Wednesday.
In the statement, the duke and duchess of Sussex had explained that the move was to enable them pursue financial independence.
“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,” the statement read.
“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
According to Reuters, Harry and Meghan’s announcement took Queen Elizabeth, Harry’s grandmother; and Prince Charles, Harry’s father, by surprise because they were not consulted on the statement.
Buckingham Palace, however, said discussions with the couple were at an early stage.
“Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” a statement issued by the royal family said.
“We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
Meghan and Harry had tied the knot at Windsor Castle in May 2018 and gave birth to Archie, their son, last year.
But their relationship with the media turned sour after they struggled to deal with the intense scrutiny it brought.
Megan had last year revealed her struggles to cope after getting married and giving birth, adding that “not many people have asked if I’m ok.”
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