The Royal Family are currently ironing out Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s arrangements, after they announced they would be stepping back as senior royals and splitting their time between the UK and North America. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has said the completely unprecedented move could be a prerequisite to the pair quitting the Royal Family altogether as he says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were clearly “unhappy and stressed with royal life”. The expert predicts the bombshell announcement could be “the beginning of the end”, as the couple are likely to make a firm decision on their future in the next few years – ahead of baby Archie’s fourth birthday.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Fitzwilliams said: “Stepping back may well be a prelude to stepping down.

“It may well be the start of them cutting themselves adrift because they are unhappy and stressed with royal life.”

Mr Fitzwilliams notes the comments Meghan and Harry made in a deeply emotional TV interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby.

In the interview, the Duchess laid bare her profound unhappiness about life in the media spotlight, admitting she was struggling to “thrive and feel happy”.

When Meghan first joined the royal ranks, the royal expert said he had thought Meghan would be the perfect fit.

He said: “I thought Meghan would be ideal for royal life with her background that involved the red carpet but she found it desperately pressurising.

“She found she couldn’t express her personality as she would wish.”

But now the Sussex’s start to devise themselves a new role, as “independent royals”.

When discussing their future role within the Royal Family, Mr Fitzwilliams said the split suggests the pair will step down entirely in the future.

He said: “It does look as though this is probably the beginning of the end.”

But he conceded “anything could happen” and we will know more in the months and years that follow.

The expert added that Meghan and Harry are likely to make an absolute decision on their future roles in the next few years, as they will need to decide where baby Archie starts school.

On Monday night the Queen issued a statement on Harry and Meghan’s future role.

It read: “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.

“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.

“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.

“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.

“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”

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