Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the royal family.
The announcement comes 12 months after they said they wanted to quit as senior royals.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of the royal family.
“Following conversations with the duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. The honorary military appointments and royal patronages held by the Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of the royal family.
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“While all are saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain much loved members of the family.”
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.
“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
The decision was made after conversations between Harry and members of the royal family.
Sky News raised eyebrows by accidentally tweeting that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, had quit the royal family, which would have been considerably more surprising.
The error was swiftly corrected.
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The military, Commonwealth and charitable associations whose patronages will revert to the Queen are the Royal Marines, RAF Honington, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, The Rugby Football Union, The Rugby Football League, The Royal National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Harry and Meghan released their shock statement on January 8, 2020, saying they intended to step down and become financially independent, but still support the Queen – a dual role that in the end was unworkable.
They have settled into a new life in the US away from the monarchy secured lucrative multimillion-pound deals with both Netflix and Spotify and established their Archewell foundation.
