On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that “after many months of reflection and internal discussions” they want to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent. They want to split their time between the UK and North America, while “continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”. Despite stepping back as frontline royals, the couple intends to keep Frogmore Cottage,the Grade II-listed property near Windsor Castle.

In their statement last night, they wrote they wanted to keep it so they would have “a place to call home in the United Kingdom”.

The news raised eyebrows in Britain as taxpayers paid £2.4million to fund the renovation of the property last year.

It was decided that taxpayers would help Harry and Meghan pay for it after the newlyweds eschewed their home in the grounds of Kensington Palace, wanting a place of their own.

In an interview with Express.co.uk, Norman Baker, a Liberal Democrat member of the Privy Council, urged the couple to repay the money spent on the house to the taxpayer.

He said: “You are either a member of the Royal Family or your are not.

“You can’t be one foot in, one foot out.

“If he is a member of the Royal Family, he has royal duties like most of them.

“If he doesn’t want that, it is fine. I understand that and good luck to him.

“He is entitled in my view to absent himself and become a private citizen.

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“But what he can’t do is becoming a private citizen, not doing royal duties and still have the state paying for him.

“He should give the money back spent on Frogmore Cottage and pay himself for the jets between the UK and America.

“And pay for his security.”

Mr Baker added that their new “progressive roles” are simply not “viable” and that the Queen will have no choice but to ask them to relinquish their titles.

Her Majesty is said to be deeply upset by their decision while Prince Charles and William are “incandescent with rage”.

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A senior source told The Sun: “Their statement was not cleared with anyone. It breaks all protocol. This is a declaration of war on the family.

“There is fury over how they’ve done this without any thought for the implications for the institution. The Queen is deeply upset. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge are incandescent with rage.

“Courtiers can’t believe it. There are so many unanswered questions but they’ve just up and done it without a thought for anyone else.

“The plan was there to discuss it and work out a way that works for everyone in the family.”

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