Harry and Meghan leave the title of His Royal Highness of the British monarchy
Buckingham Palace reported on Saturday that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle will no longer use the title of His Royal Highness and will not receive public funding, as they have ceased to be active members of the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth II made the announcement as part of an agreement with the couple - which takes effect in the spring of this year - which responds to the desire of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to leave their responsibilities to the British royal house.
"After many months of more recent conversations and discussions, I am glad to have found a constructive and supportive path for my grandson and his family," the queen said in a statement.
"I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of the intense scrutiny in the past two years and I support their desire for a more independent life," she said.
Harry, as the son of Prince Charles and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, is sixth in line to the British throne.
The couple announced on January 8 their decision to leave their responsibilities in the royal family and have a "new progressive role" within the institution, with financial independence and dividing their residence between the United Kingdom and North America.
The unexpected announcement was not initially well received by Queen Elizabeth II, according to Buckingham Palace sources, but the monarch expressed her support for her grandson, wife and great-grandson on Saturday.
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be very dear members of my family," said Elizabeth II.
"My entire family hopes that today's agreement will allow them to start a new, happy and peaceful life," he added.
The couple expressed their appreciation to the queen and the royal family for their "continued support" of their desire to start a new phase in their married life, Buckingham Palace said.
The announcement marks the conclusion of discussions about the couple's future with family members and royal officials.
Last year, Harry and Meghan spoke about the hardships of life in the royal family and the media attention. The duke said he feared his wife would be the victim of "the same powerful forces" that led to the death of his mother, Diana of Wales.
Stop being a prince?
In the UK monarchy, titles are given to members of the royal family, either by inheritance or by marriage.
Her Majesty is the title of Queen Elizabeth II, while her husband Philip holds that of His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Harry had the birthright to use the title of His Royal Highness, which the princes and princesses heirs to the throne receive. This is the one that you will stop using in the coming months.
He and his wife will remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a title granted by the Queen on their wedding day in May 2018. Only below the Queen are the Dukes.
Harry will remain a prince, having been born as one. Only a monarch can restore you to your title of His Royal Highness.
New status
By ceasing to have functions of the House of Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "will no longer receive public funds for royal duties," according to the note released this Saturday.
"With the Queen's blessing, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations."
And as part of their new status, Harry and Meghan will no longer be able to represent the queen publicly, in addition to leaving their various official military appointments.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "have made it clear that whatever they do will continue to uphold Her Majesty's values."
The couple also decided to repay 2.4 million pounds of taxpayer money, about US $ 3.1 million, which was used to renovate their residence, Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their family home in the UK.
The royal palace said it would not comment on how the couple's security management will operate in their new life.
BBC royal family correspondent Nicholas Witchell said several questions remain unanswered in the statement, including the couple's tax and immigration status in the UK and Canada.
Royal officials, he explained, have not given a clear answer on whether Meghan still intended to obtain British citizenship, which would involve spending a certain amount of time in the UK.
