WHEN Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their intention to leave the royal family, the Queen insisted on a 12-month review.
It would give the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a grace period to change their minds if they had second thoughts.
But, according to reports, the Queen was never expecting them to back down, as the pair dropped a major hint.
When asked by a visitor if she expected them to resume royal life, the Queen said, according to the Daily Mail: “Obviously not. They kidnapped the dogs.”
When Harry and Meghan announced their decision to leave the royal family in 2020, it sent shockwaves around the world.
According to reports, the Royal Family was completely unaware of the shocking announcement.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to “retreat as senior members of the Royal Family” while “continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen.”
They added they would continue to “honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
She only gave the Sussexes a ‘in’ or ‘out’ option, and the former royals chose the latter.
By the end of the week, Her Majesty’s press office had issued a statement outlining the couple’s terms, which included the loss of patronages and military roles, the use of their HRH style, and the withdrawal of all public funds.
Buckingham Palace issued the following statement: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have informed Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning to The Royal Family as working members.
“Following discussions with The Duke, The Queen has written to confirm that stepping away from The Royal Family’s work makes it impossible to continue with the responsibilities and duties.
“The Duke and Duchess’ honorary military appointments and Royal patronages will thus be returned to Her Majesty before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.
“While everyone is saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess are still well-liked members of the family.”
The Sussexes were quick to respond, insisting that “service is universal.”
At the time, a spokesperson for the couple stated: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have remained committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, as evidenced by their work over the past year, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.
“Every one of us can live a life of service. Service is available to everyone.”
