Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have let go their royal staffers amid their plans to “step back” and “become financially independent” from the British royal family, Us Weekly can confirm.
The employees worked for Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, at their Frogmore Cottage on Queen Elizabeth II’s estate in Windsor. The Daily Mail reported on Thursday, January 16, that some of the staffers will be reassigned within the monarch’s household, while many others were informed that their services were no longer needed.
The move to dismiss their staff come as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to work out the logistics of their exit, which they announced on January 8 via Instagram. At the time, the couple stated that their decision to “transition” and “carve out a progressive new role” for themselves came after “many months of reflection and internal discussions.”
Harry recently met with the 93-year-old queen, Prince Charles and Prince William to discuss the British Army vet’s future with his family outside of his lineage. In a statement from the queen via Buckingham Palace on Monday, January 13, she noted that “very constructive discussions” commenced but “there is some more work to be done” because these are “complex matters.”
“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,” the statement read. “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 Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the U.K.”
Before announcing their departure, Harry and Meghan traveled to Canada for a six-week hiatus from royal duties over the holidays. In December 2019, a source told Us that the duo were “using their time off to reset and spend quality time as a family” alongside their 8-month-old son, Archie. The insider noted that “it’s just what the doctor ordered” following their “turbulent year.”
Though the queen stated that her family is supportive of Harry and Meghan’s decision, sources have told Us that William, 37, wasn’t pleased with their choice. He’s “angry” with his brother and sister-in-law’s change of direction, but he “has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life.”
