Harry & Meghan stepping back from RF

I wish them lots of luck in their new venture.

None of the royal family asked to be born into it. It is something that they just get lumbered with. Harry is a bit of a sideline now - William has a family and that leaves Harry miles from any likely succession. He has good reason to be twitchy about the effect that being a royal has on an incoming spouse.

It looks as though William is set in his role as heir and he has shown no signs of wanting to quit.

I think it is good that Harry and Meghan are wanting to move towards more financial independence - and I do not think it entirely unreasonable that some of their protection costs should be met by the state - after all they only need this because of eh expectations that Britain has had of them - not their choice.

Realistically they will always be celebrities - it is all they have known.

Let us hope that little Archie can grow up with some hint of normal family life - whatever that might be.

I hope the press don’t give them coverage , but they will.

He is a junior royal

Not surprising really, after Megan's interview with Tom Bradby, it was obvious she wasn't happy. But I do worry about the nature of their relationship - the documentary regarding their visit to South Africa, showed footage of Megan rubbing Harry's back as they walked away from the cameras (I think she also did this when they introduced baby Archie to the world from Buckingham Palace) it just looked like a motherly, protective gesture, something a parent would do to a child to reassure them, it really looked very odd to me (you would expect that with Harry being the Royal and Megan new to the RF, that it would be him reassuring her?). It does seem from this body language, that she's in charge and I do wonder if Harry is being manipulated, I certainly hope he is strong enough to hold his own.

She seems a calculating person. She’s the age Diana was when she died.

She seems a very controlling person. If she can send her wedding ring back in the post to her first husband, god help Harry.

Curlewhirly, you maybe surprised at how many service personnel ( forces, police ,fireservice , ambulance service etc) suffer with mental issues from the effects of what they have seen & have dealt with. They often suffer alone , with flash backs & anxiety .
Trauma bites you in the bum when you least expect it to.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has said that a move abroad would be a 'huge undertaking' and the security costs would be vast, in the region of £600,000 p.a.

Every year.

I for one won’t miss them, I’m fed up of their winging about lack of privacy whilst taking tax payers money.
I notice they didn’t announce this until after they took millions off us for their refurbishments wonder will they pay it back to us. I don’t think so ?

Wonder if she's planning on going back to acting, maybe Suits, wasn't that filmed in Canada!

He was in Afghanistan for 20 weeks and closely guarded by the Gurkhas

Their dramatic decision was taken without the knowledge of the Queen, Prince Charles or Prince William, who learnt about the announcement as it broke on television news channels.

The couple, who plan to split their time between Britain and North America, made the bombshell announcement just days after returning from a six-week break in Canada.

A senior royal source said the Queen and her family were ‘deeply disappointed’. Another said the royals were ‘shocked, saddened and downright furious’ at the couple.

In a terse statement, Buckingham Palace said: ‘Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work though.’

Well-placed sources made clear that the shock announcement was a personal statement and ‘members of the family were not consulted on the contents’.

One exasperated aide said: ‘People had bent over backwards for them. They were given the wedding they wanted, the house they wanted, the office they wanted, the money they wanted, the staff they wanted, the tours they wanted and had the backing of their family. What more did they want?’

What I find particularly distasteful about this is that the royals including the Queen weren’t told in advance of the announcement.

There is really no excuse for such bad manners. No wonder the Queen is said to be hurt and disappointed.

What IS the problem with this young couple? My guess is Meghan instigated this. She has always come across as a manipulative woman.

All I can say is, Harry I hope she is worth it.

I want to know when they will stop costing us money
otherwise it is simply them taking the best of both worlds and the only example she makes is to act entitled and not bother with anyone else's feelings.

The only family M has there is the mother who abandoned her when she was 11.
So now she is taking H away from his.
I really think she is very deeply manipulative and controlling.
Nothing they do is for anyone but her.

Saying they will take a step back sounds like taking the money.......and doing as little as possible.

Also am glad that they are going.

In the words of the Von Trapp children,

'So Long, Farewell, Auf wiedersehen, Goodbye!'

What Meghan wants, Meghan gets. I just hope Harry realises it's a hell of a bridge to burn.

I thought before this statement was released this evening that it was a bit odd that the first thing they did publicly on return to the UK was make a high profile visit to the Canadian embassy.Why ?So they had a marvellous time,enjoyed wonderful hospitality.But then to have not taken the time informed the Queen,Charles and William of their plans.Well that's just rude,and massively disrespectful.

I'm no Royalist but strangely enjoy reading all the gossip. H&M did it for me when they they started spouting all eco warrior stuff then take multiple jet trips all over the place. I've nothing against people with wealth spending it but don't start preaching how good you are at saving the planet when you clearly are not. If they go abroad probably best for them and also for us if they finance themselves.
Personally I don't think the marriage will stay the course as there are many obsticals. We will see

Pinkquartz and JenniferE, I think you’ve both summed it up very well.
Meghan has no family because she chose to cut them out of her life.
Now she’s got Harry to do the same thing to his family.
If that’s not manipulative and controlling, I don’t know what is!

As with any young family I wish them well. . .but not at our expense. I trust they’ll be billed for the house done up at our expense and, any security they want, they should pay for IMHO. They should get a paying job/mortgage like the rest of us!

Well it’s all a blessed relief - a distraction from worrying about Iran, the Byzantine process of the second stage of the Labour leadership nomination process, the timetable for negotiating a FTA with the EU and what we’re having for supper tomorrow. What an absolutely lovely totally inconsequential issue to get in a tizz about. Good luck Meghan and Harry - run run as fast and as far as you can from this horrible dysfunctional family and especially great uncle sleaze bag in chief Andy. This is so going to run and run and provide years of entertainment - so grateful xx

I don't blame them but let's face it they'll never really escape from the press. They'll never get anything right whatever they do. (See previous comments!) Never mind we still have William and Saint Kate - oh did I say that out loud. I'd better duck!!

Feel a bit sorry for Harry. He is cutting himself off from family and old friends and now even his country.

pinkquartz, ,JenniferE and Maddyone yes I agree.
She has dropped old friends and has alienated H from his old friends and family. This is what people do to get control of someone. Cult leaders do this.
Anyone listened to a podcast “The Shrink Next Door”? Fascinating story about how a person can be completely controlled and not realise what is going on for years.

Why does anyone care?

Getting away from xenophobic, narrow minded U.K. who can blame them? Plenty of hate and spite on here.

It's Mehans way or no way. I give their relationship 5 years. He doesn't look like Harry any more. I daresay they will keep on Frogmore courtesy of the tax payer and expect protection courtesy of us again. They hadn't the courtesy to discuss this with his family, she hasn't got a family, so why.should he.

Perhaps we will all learn a lot more about Canada which can't be a bad side effect.