Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (aka Duke and Duchess of Sussex) have officially broken up with the British royal family and will not return to work as royalty, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday.
“After conversations with the duke,” the statement said, “the queen wrote confirming that, moving away from the work of the royal family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties inherent in a life of public service.”
When Harry and Meghan “stepped back” as working members of the royal family last year so they could earn wages for their work and have more privacy, the Queen granted them a one-year review period. The couple could take a test drive in their new life – but they would still have their old jobs back if they wanted to.
In Friday’s statement, Buckingham Palace (and therefore the Queen) made it clear that the review period was over and that Harry and Meghan were officially out of “the company”.
“While everyone is saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess are still very dear members of the family.”
The palace also said on Friday that, as a result of this official separation, the Queen was formally withdrawing the royal sponsorships she had granted to the Sussex and depriving Harry – a 10-year veteran of the army – of his honorary military commitments.
The statement said that sponsorships and positions as honorary heads of military bodies “will be returned to His Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of the royal family”.
This was always part of the official plan agreed last year. Harry and Meghan knew during the review period that if they decided to separate from real life as royalty workers, they would lose their formal ties to these organizations.
A Sussex spokesman told BuzzFeed News on Friday that they would continue to support their former sponsors privately.
“As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duties and services in the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented, regardless of their official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal, “said the spokesman.