Whoa, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Last Official Day as Royals Is Next Tuesday

Believe it or not, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's last official day as senior members of the royal family is mere days away. 

As you may remember, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in mid February that the couple will formally and officially step down from duties on March 31, aka this coming Tuesday. As of April 1, the 35-year-old prince and 38-year-old duchess will close their office at Buckingham Palace and will be solely supported by their charity foundation team.

The spokesperson further explained the new shift, saying, “The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America. 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. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year.”

They went on to specify that the “themes of their cause-related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively.”

After 12 months, so April 1, 2021, the royal family will revisit their agreement. This is a total plot twist, which makes us wonder if Harry and Meghan will be able to ultimately be reinstated as official royals at a later date, should they so choose. (Mind. Blown.)

The spokesperson clarified, “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.”

It has also been announced that Prince Harry will retain his Major, Lieutenant Commander and Squadron Leader titles in the military for this 12-month period, and that no new appointments will be made in the meantime. The royal family also decided the couple may no longer use the word “royal” in relation to their charity foundation, Sussex Royal, the Charity Foundation. 

As a reminder, they will retain their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, as well as their Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and Baron and Baroness Kilkeel monikers. They will also technically still be considered Her and His Royal Highnesses, but they have agreed to no longer actively use those prefixes. Furthermore, Prince Harry remains sixth in line to the British throne.

Now we wait to see what’s next for the Sussex fam.