Prince Harry and Meghan are going to be parents again 1:15
(CNN) ––
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, agreed with Queen Elizabeth II that they will no longer be active and functioning members of the British royal family.
This was announced this Friday by Buckingham Palace.
The decision means that Harry and Meghan's honorary military appointments and royal endorsements will be revoked and redistributed among members representing the royal family, the palace explained in a statement.
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However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they will remain committed to their duties in Britain and elsewhere.
In this sense, they emphasized that "the service is universal."
A review of Harry Meghan's position was expected, since they retired as royalty last January.
But, the measure has been advanced.
Harry and Meghan will have an important interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 7.
This will be their first appearance since they left London for North America.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex break the silence with Oprah Winfrey 0:58
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex represented the queen, they were always limited in what they could say publicly.
Now that it has been announced that they will not return as active royals, they will be able to speak more freely in the interview.
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The two sides issued statements on the decision on Friday.
The first announcement came from the palace.
The Queen has "written confirming that by resigning from the Royal Family job, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," the statement said.
"While everyone is saddened by his decision, the Duke and Duchess remain very dear members of the family," he added.
A spokesman for the couple responded on Friday that Harry and Meghan "remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world."
Also that they have "offered their continuous support to the organizations they have represented regardless of their official role."
“We can all live a life of service.
The service is universal, "added the spokesman.
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The couple will retain their titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Additionally, Prince Harry remains sixth in line to the British throne.
Several organizations of which Harry or Meghan were sponsors issued statements this Friday in which they thanked them for their work.
Among them, the National Theater of the United Kingdom and the governing body of English rugby.
The loss of Harry's military sponsorships will also be a blow.
The prince served in the British Army until 2015, where he achieved the rank of captain.
And he's been heavily involved with veteran charities since he left.
The announcement comes just days after the couple revealed that they are expecting their second child.
Meanwhile, Prince Philip, Harry's grandfather, is hospitalized in London.
This as a "precautionary measure" after feeling unwell.
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Harry and Meghan have already begun the process of forging their roles beyond royalty.
To that extent, they have built the foundations of their media empire with a series of high-profile deals.
In December, they announced that they would produce podcasts for Spotify.
And before that they signed a multi-year production contract with Netflix.
The couple have simultaneously sought to have greater control of their media coverage.
Which led to them publicly severing ties with four of the UK's biggest tabloids after years of tense relations.
In addition, they launched multiple legal campaigns against some publishers and photography agencies.
Dukes of Sussex British Royal Family Meghan Markle Prince Harry British Royalty
