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 Harry and Meghan shocked Queen Elizabeth and the other Windsors
in January by announcing plans step back from their royal roles.
A later deal brokered by the 93-year-old monarch means they will
go their own way from April.
So from Wednesday, the couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,
will be free to pursue new careers, earn their own money and
spend most of their time in North America.
But they will no longer be able to use the word "royal" in their
branding or carry out official duties and have agreed not to use
the style of HRH - His or Her Royal Highness.
Harry, 35, the queen's grandson and sixth in line to the throne,
will remain a prince but relinquish his military appointments.
"While you may not see us here, the work continues," the couple
said in the last message to their more than 11 million followers
on their sussexroyal Instagram page.
"We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been
great! Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of
one another."
Harry, and Meghan, a former actress, married in a lavish
ceremony in May 2018, a wedding which was heralded at the time
as infusing a blast of Hollywood glamour and modernity into the
monarchy, and making them one of the world's biggest celebrity
couples.
Their son Archie was born a year later, but by then relations
with the media and with Harry's elder brother Prince William
were becoming strained, and in January they announced plans to
step back from their royal roles.
It provoked a crisis, and in a subsequent deal thrashed out with
the queen, her son and heir Prince Charles and William, it was
agreed the couple would have to give up their royal jobs
altogether.
As a result, the couple will no longer use their sussexroyal
handle on Instagram nor update their SussexRoyal.com website.
The Sussex Royal Foundation, which they were setting up, will be
wound up.
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However Travalyst, a sustainable tourism initiative launched by
Harry which had been the foundation's main initiative, will continue
as an independent non-profit body.
The couple will now focus on their family for the next few months
while "developing their future non-profit organization", a statement
from their office said.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would prefer that in the immediate
weeks and months, the focus remains on the global response to
COVID-19," the statement said.
SECURITY
Their last public appearance came earlier this month when they
joined other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service in
London.
After that they returned to Canada where they had spent most of
their time in the last four months, and a royal source confirmed
they had now moved to the Los Angeles area. Meghan, 38, who starred
in TV legal drama "Suits", was raised in the area and her mother
Doria still lives there.
Since their exit deal was announced, there have been questions over
who would provide their personal security which media have estimated
costs millions of dollars a year.
Canada had already said it would not provide security for them after
they relinquished their royal jobs and on Sunday, U.S. President
Donald Trump tweeted that the United States would not foot the bill
either.
However, a spokeswoman for the couple said they had no plans to ask
for any public funding for their security, adding: "Privately funded
security arrangements have been made."
Meghan's first post-royal job will be to narrate a nature
documentary "Elephant" for Disney which will be released on April 3
and will raise money for an animal welfare charity.
"For now, there will be no additional information on their next
steps," the statement from their office said.
(Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Stephen Addison)
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