This is Prince Harry, a mag, Meghan Markle, resigning from the royal family.

They really sustain a statement about an hour ago, this body says says After many months of reflection and interned discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.

This is the key bit.

They go and say We intend to step back as senior members of the royal family, on work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen.

They go on to say they're going to split their time between the UK and North America on.

They also add that this geographic balance when labor us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter.

Now clear.

This is shocking, but perhaps not that surprising for royal watches.

And just yesterday there at Canada House, thanking officials for the hospitality that was shown during a six week trip to Canada choosing to spend their Christmas in Canada, not at Sandringham, half were not Sandra sorry with the rest of the royal family there, and it's long been reported off riffs between Prince Harry and his brother and the rest the royal family.

In a document, a nice TV documentary last year, Harry was lost about that rift, he said.

It's an inevitably stuff happens this family being under pressure that is under.

And then he talks about his brother, he said.

We're certainly on different parts of the moment, and it's a part of the part of this job is putting on a brave face.

But for me and my wife, there is a There is stuff that hurts, especially when the majority off it is untrue.

In that same documentary, Meghan Markle spoke about how being part of the royal family was hard for her.

She said that when she when she told friends about getting together with Prince Harry, all of our American friends said this amazing beloved British friends said, I'm sure he's great, which are you sure you did it because tabloids will destroy your life now.

This is a bad time for the royal family.

Prince Philip was ill just before Christmas.

Before that, Prince Andrew was effectively sacked from the royal family over an interview he gave with do with his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

This is a queen that love stability, and now another one.

Another senior Royal has resigned.

I'm joined now from central London by royal commentator Peter Hunt.

Pizza hunt.

An extraordinary decision.

But how surprising.

I'm surprised that it's come now.

I'm not surprised with what the direction of travel that this couple is going in.

The key word that you've just uses this word stepping back.

They're not talking about stepping down.

I'm not sure how terrible it is that they are just stepping back, and I suspect in the future we may be talking about them stepping down.

One of the most extraordinary things about their statement is this idea that they would become financially independent.

I mean, how will that work?

Well, the Royals don't have a very good recent history off being financially independent.

Several senior Royals, flush with just joining the world family, think that they can have a career on earn money.

It has always ended in tears.

I can't quite see how it can happen now, so I think that's why I'm saying that I think they sort of third way for rolls.

If you want this cake and eat it, too, use the phrase.

It was very popular during the heat of Brexit.

I think will become unstuck because fundamentally, when you strip it all away, people in this country expects senior Royals to turn up on open a factory in Barnsley, a shop in Stockport.

They don't expect them to be spending half the year in North American, so there will be questions that would be asking as I talk to you about who will fund their security.

It's an eye watering, some undisclosed sum that will now have to be spent between here and North America on People also point out that we the public, spent £2.4 million on their accommodation in Windsor, which now we have to assume will be empty for up to half the year.

Of course, one of the obvious assumptions would be that Meghan Markle would go back to acting.

I mean, how likely would that be?

I think I'm always wary.

I've never won the lottery.

I've anything I predicted, but I think that I would if I had a hat or if I had hair, I would eat the hat and pull my hair.

I cannot see that happening.

So I think there are real problems for them.

I think we also have to reflect on the fact that this is not a good day for the British royal family.

This in, you know, in the 21st century, in a new decade, they have shown that they haven't been able to accommodate in the traditional way their first senior royal from a B m E background on dso.

Will this be a blow for the Queen?

I think it is.

And I think now we know why they issued that statement between Christmas and New Year off her with the three future Kings Charles William on George because that was very much a message.

Never mind.

The school's never mind.