Harry and Meghan tell the Queen they will not return as working members of Royal Family

Image source, Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not return as working members of the Royal Family.

The Queen confirmed that the couple would not "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service".

They will return their honorary military appointments and Royal patronages - the positions they hold as figureheads for various charities and organisations.

Harry and Meghan have said they will still offer to support the organisations they have represented and that "service is universal".

A statement from the Royal Family said: "While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family."

It follows the news last week that the royal couple are expecting their second child.

Why have they made this decision?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Harry and Meghan talked about some of the pressure they were under in October 2019

The duke and duchess announced last January they would step back as "senior" royals and work to become financially independent.

They then formally stepped down in March 2020, with a plan to review the arrangements after 12 months.

Now they have decided they won't return to royal duties.

Last year, the couple said that they came to the decision "after many months of reflection and internal discussions".

There is no one reason, but they have spoken in the past about some of the pressures they were under - especially from the media.

In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke in a documentary about how media attention affected them and Meghan admitted that adjusting to royal life was "hard".

The Duchess of Sussex took legal action against a British newspaper after she claims it unlawfully published a letter she wrote to her dad.

Video caption, 鶹Լ Royal expert Simon Jones discusses Harry and Meghan's decision in January 2020.

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