Harry and Meghan’s poignant final message before quitting royal life for good

Today, March 31 2020, is the day that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, cease to be senior members of the British royal family, with the couple no longer expected to carry out official duties on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, as well as being free to earn their own income.

Their exit from the senior ranks of the firm has made headlines across the globe for months now, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex initially announced their intentions to take a step back on their Sussex Royal Instagram page on January 8. Since then, the couple have negotiated the terms of the arrangement – dubbed ‘Megxit’ – with the monarch and other senior royals including Harry’s father the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, with the full terms of the deal coming into effect tomorrow, April 1.

Now, just hours ahead of the end of royal life as they know it, the couple have shared an emotional farewell message with their supporters and thanked them for their “support, inspiration and shared commitment to the good in the world”.

“As we can all feel, the world at this moment seems extraordinarily fragile. Yet we are confident that every human being has the potential and opportunity to make a difference—as seen now across the globe, in our families, our communities and those on the front line—together we can lift each other up to realise the fullness of that promise,” the couple wrote on social media.

“What’s most important right now is the health and wellbeing of everyone across the globe and finding solutions for the many issues that have presented themselves as a result of this pandemic. As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute.”

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The Sussexes, who signed off the personal message as simply ‘Harry and Meghan’, said their work will continue, despite the recent coronavirus crisis.

Harry and Meghan finished the message by saying: “Thank you to this community – for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great!” they added. “Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another.”

The message comes just days after it was revealed that the couple, along with their 10-month-old son Archie, have permanently relocated to Los Angeles, having spent the past four months living in a rented mansion on Vancouver Island, Canada.

Although their decision to leave the Commonwealth country came as as surprise to the public, a royal insider told UK newspaper The Sun that the move had been planned for a while. However the couple were forced to make an immediate decision before the borders closed between Canada and the United States.

“They have a big support network there,” an anonymous source told the news outlet. “It’s where their new team of Hollywood agents and PRs and business managers are based. Meghan has lots of friends there and, of course, her mum Doria.”