Stepping Back
January 2020 to March 2021 — the documented sequence of the transition.
The announcement
On 8 January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Instagram that they intended to “step back” as “senior” members of the royal family, divide their time between the UK and North America, and “work to become financially independent.” The statement was issued without prior coordination with Buckingham Palace — a fact widely reported at the time and never disputed.
Sandringham
On 13 January 2020, the Queen convened a family meeting at Sandringham — Harry, Charles, and William — to settle the terms. On 18 January, Buckingham Palace announced the agreement:
- The couple would no longer use the HRH styles.
- They would repay the Sovereign Grant funds spent renovating Frogmore Cottage.
- Harry’s military appointments were suspended.
- The arrangement would be reviewed after twelve months.
The palace statement noted the couple’s wish to continue charitable work and that the Queen remained supportive — “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” it said.
The final engagements
Their last engagements as working royals took place in early March 2020, concluding with the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on 9 March 2020 — the last time the couple appeared in an official royal capacity alongside the wider family.
The review concludes
The twelve-month review concluded on 19 February 2021: Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple would not return as working royals, and their patronages and honorary military appointments were returned to the Queen and redistributed.
The move
The couple spent early 2020 in Canada, then settled in Montecito, California. In April 2020 they announced the Archewell Foundation (see Archewell).
What this page does not do
It does not adjudicate why the couple left, who was at fault, or what was said in private. Those questions are the subject of the couple’s own accounts (notably the March 2021 Oprah interview) and of extensive press speculation; the interview is quoted with attribution on Sayings, and contested claims are tested on Reception. This page records the documented sequence only.
Source notes
- 8 January 2020 Instagram announcement: the couple’s statement, as published.
- 13 January Sandringham meeting; 18 January palace statement: Buckingham Palace.
- Final engagements (March 2020), Commonwealth Day service (9 March): official engagement records.
- 19 February 2021 review conclusion: Buckingham Palace statement.