Prince Harry And Meghan Markle To End Royal Duties With Royal Family On March 31

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they have decided to step down as senior members of the royal family in early January. The couple’s announcement came after they returned from their 6-week leave where they spent the holidays in Canada.

When their break ended and flew back to the U.K. an unexpected situation shocked the royal family and the whole world as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex suddenly stated that they are leaving and would be moving to North America with baby Archie. They also revealed their intention to be financially independent which means they will not be receiving public funds anymore and they will instead earn on their own for their living.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s departure has been called the “Megxit” and now it was disclosed that their royal duties will officially end on March 31. According to the Daily Mail, the pair’s office at the Buckingham Palace will be shut down and will no longer be in operation starting April 1.

Before they officially end their royal duties the Sussexes’ last activities as royals include the prince’s Invictus Games event that will take place on Feb. 28, Endeavour Fund awards on March 5 that both Harry and Meghan are attending and the duke’s Silverstone event with Lewis Hamilton on March 6.

Next up, they will attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music on March 7 and the next day, the duchess will grace the International Women's Day. Finally, the pair will be at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9 and they will be joining the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family for this event.

In any case, while they will not be HRH anymore, the prince will be able to retain his military ranks as Major, Lieutenant Commander and Squadron Leader but it was noted that his honorary military positions will not be used in a 12-month period where the royal family will reevaluate the situation.

"As there is no precedent for this new model of working and eventual financial independence, the Royal Family and The Sussexes have agreed to an initial 12-month review to ensure the arrangement works for all parties," ABC News quoted the spokesperson as saying.

It was added that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to launch their new non-profit organization later. The discussions regarding the “Megxit” and how it will work are still ongoing and any change in the setup will be announced alongside the launch of their new non-profit organization.

"The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America,” the spokesperson stated. “In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization.”