Meghan and Harry announce they are to step down as "Senior Royals" and become "financially independent"

Image: Sussex Royal, Instagram

They're living life their own way.

Meghan and Harry have announced they are to quit as 'senior Royals' and instead, work to focus on their charity, raising their son and becoming “financially independent”

They announced this evening on their official Instagram account: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within the institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.

They don’t explain how they intend to become financially independent or whether Meghan plans to return to her career as a successful actress, following her role in the TV drama Suits, but they have inadvertently thanked their supporters for giving them to courage to make this move, saying “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”

They have also decided to split their time between the UK and North America, where Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland lives.

But all is not lost. They have promised to continue to honour their “duty to the Queen, The Commonwealth and our patronages."

"This geographical balance will enable 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, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, the Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

They released an image on their official Instagram account to accompany their statement.

View this post on Instagram

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable 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, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex(@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

This is not the first time the couple have broken with tradition. Meghan proved early on that she is keen to do things her own way, and depart from protocol. Firstly, by going bare-legged for a Royal Engagement photo shoot, to refusing to pose for a Lindo Wing photo op hours after baby Archie was born.

Here, she is proving yet again she is a thoroughly modern princess who wants to live her life her own way.

We wish them the best of luck.

This article originally appeared on Glamour UK.