Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to step down from their roles, become financially independent and split their time between the UK and North America. The Queen said she “respects and understands” their decision but she’s not pleased about one aspect.

Harry and Meghan live in Frogmore Cottage, a grade II listed house in Windsor.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved there in 2019 before the birth of their son Archie.

The five-bedroom house was refurbished with UK taxpayers footing the £2.4 million bill.

The Queen is said to be “privately unhappy” about the money spent on the renovations.

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Frogmore Cottage is in the process of being closed down with key live-in staff like the house manager and cleaner being moved to other duties on the Queen’s staff.

Other more ad-hoc workers such as the chef, maids and footmen have, as reported by the Daily Mail, been let off.

However, one source told CNN that staff were “being redeployed elsewhere around the estate” and no one had been “let go”.

This has further fuelled the speculation that Harry and Meghan do not intend to spend a lot of time in the UK in the foreseeable future.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a source said: “Workers are already being offered other roles at Buckingham Palace.

“There is a skeleton staff there all the time, consisting of one cleaner and a house manager.

“Others work as and when needed. This has all come as a bit of shock.

“They took great pride in working for them and being at Frogmore.”

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The Sussexes have said in the past that Frogmore Cottage is their “official residence as they continue to support the monarchy, and so that their family will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom”.

But a senior royal source told the Daily Mail it was doubtful that Meghan “will ever really return to the UK in a meaningful way”.

The Duchess is already in Canada with Archie, and their two dogs, having flown back to Vancouver Island after the Sussexes’ announcement.

Harry is expected to join his wife and son in the coming days after making his last public appearance at the Rugby League World Cup draw on Thursday.

After a crunch meeting with Harry, Prince Charles and Prince William at Sandringham Estate on Monday, the Queen issued a statement on the Sussexes’ decision.

In it, she said she was “entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family” but would have “preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family”.

The Queen said: “We respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

She added that matters are “complex” and called for a resolution to be reached “in the coming days”.

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