Royal staff could face redunancies as Meghan and Harry 'step back' from royal duties

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step down as working members of the Royal Family and move to Canada with their son Archie could result in a string of redunancies within the Royal Household.

The couple employ a team of around 15 staff to assist in their day-to-day duties, but it is thought the staff will no longer be needed as Meghan and Harry prepare to step back from the limelight.

A palace aide revealed, "Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed.

"While the details are still being finalised and efforts are being made to redeploy people within the royal household, unfortunately there will be some redundancies."

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It was Harry and Meghan's decision to create a separate household last year and move their office from Kensington Palace - where they shared it with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - to Buckingham Palace.

And, amongst the big move, the couple hired an experienced communications expert, Sara Latham, to handle the huge media attention surrounding them, as well as bringing a new Private Secretary, Samantha Cohen, on board.

Back in January the couple released a statement on their Instagram page, sussexroyal, which explained that Meghan and Harry are working towards becoming “financially independent,” while still “continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.

While their decision to step away from royal life came as a shock to most, the Prince said the couple were left with "no other choice" following a turbulent few years in the spotlight.

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Addressing claims he was "walking away" from his country, Harry, 35, said, "We’re not walking away, and we are certainly not walking away from you.

"Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.”

Prince Harry also recently revealed he's been having therapy to help him deal with the tragic loss of his mother, Princess Diana. And hinted that the difficult decision to step down came as a result of wanting to protect his own family.

Georgia Farquharson

Georgia writes across Woman & Home and Good to Know and specialises in all things royal. Previously labelled the "Queen of the royals," Georgia knows the whose who and what's what when it comes to the monarchy. When she's not eagerly following the royal family, Georgia enjoys shopping and self-care. She lives with this motto in mind; "if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."