On Jan. 8, 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the bombshell announcement that they planned to step back as senior working royals, writing on Instagram, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen,” the statement continued. “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”
Originally, the couple — who were new parents to 8-month-old son Prince Archie at the time — intended to split their time between the U.K. and North America and sought to continue “to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages,” the statement said. “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
Though the announcement ultimately came on Jan. 8, the first hint of the couple leaving their working royal roles happened three months prior in October 2019, when they announced their intention to take six weeks off to spend “family time” together, ultimately doing so in Vancouver Island, Canada, where they celebrated Christmas privately — and not at Sandringham with the rest of the royal family, as was tradition. In fact, Harry and Meghan visited Canada House in London to thank them for their hospitality during their Vancouver Island stay on Jan. 7, just one day before their bombshell announcement.
Five days after the news broke, on Jan. 13 Harry, Charles and William met with the Queen at Sandringham — where she remained following the Christmas holiday — in what has now become known as the “Sandringham Summit.” After the 90-minute discussion, the Queen released an uncharacteristically emotional statement, saying in part, “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.”
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” the monarch continued. “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’s exit from royal life officially began on March 31, 2020, following a number of engagements that month as the couple wrapped up work with many royal patronages — and made headlines with appearances at London’s Endeavour Fund Awards on March 5, the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7 and a tense reunion with members of the royal family at the Commonwealth Day service on March 8.