A media explosion occurred when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — Prince Harry and Meghan — announced their decision to step away from their Royal roles, leave England and step into the private sector.
Until Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made her first official statement days later, headlines and speculation continued. But the Queen’s statement quieted them:
My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.
Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.
It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussex’s will spend time in Canada and the UK.
These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.
Days later, she released this statement:
Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.
Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.
I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.
I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.
It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be superb Ambassadors for England while continuing their philanthropic initiatives, a commitment that appears important to both.
The Royal Family will continue their reign. So will media speculation — the Duke and Duchess are young, glamorous and progressive, hence significant “clickbait.” Nonetheless, a crisis has been averted by the Queen’s deft management of the Royal message.