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The removal of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from the royal family is complete…well, at least at Madame Tussauds London. The tourist attraction has removed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wax figures from the royal family display in the wake of their bombshell announcement to take a step back as senior members of the British royal family. "Alongside the rest of the world we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior Royals," General Manager at Madame Tussauds London Steve Davies said in a statement (via CNN ).
Steve continued, "From today, Meghan and Harry's figures will no longer appear in our Royal Family set. As two of our most popular and well-loved figures they will of course remain an important feature at Madame Tussauds London as we watch to see what the next chapter holds for the them.” Meghan and Harry were originally displayed next to Queen Elizabeth , Prince Philip , Prince William , and Kate Middleton . According to CNN, Madame Tussauds separated the Sussexes from the family to mirror their "progressive new role within the Royal institution."
Just one day after returning to royal duties following a six-week break , Archie Harrison’s parents shocked the world by announcing their plan to take a step back from their current roles. The couple also revealed that they will divide their time between the UK and North America. In a personal message on their Sussex Royal account, Meghan and Harry wrote, “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.”
They added, “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.”
Buckingham Palace reacted to the surprising news on Wednesday evening stating that discussions with Meghan and Harry are “at an early stage.” The palace said, “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”