Prince Harry and Meghan Markle break silence with strong statement following queen's decision

• Buckingham Palace released a statement on Friday saying Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be returning to their royal roles.
• The decision also meant the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would lose their royal patronages for which they'd done charitable work over the years.
• The couple has since released a statement. "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," they said.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be returning to their royal roles.

Following a probationary period, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday: "Following conversations with the duke, the queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

Though some of their UK patronages have since released statements thanking the royal couple for the service, while others have said they will remain on, the statement added: "The honorary military appointments and royal patronages held by the duke and duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family."

Following the news, Harry and Meghan released a statement of their own, which many thought may have been a direct response to the queen's comment on their inability to dedicate themselves to "a life of public service".

"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," they said, per People.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's office added that they will "remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role".

Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Photo: Getty Images

Following their statement, Prince William is said to be "really sad and genuinely shocked", according to a report by The Sunday Times. He is "very upset by what has happened" and thought the couple's statement to the queen was "insulting and disrespectful".

Harry and Meghan are continuing their work, however, through their organisation, Archewell. On Sunday, the Genesis Women's Shelter & Support in Dallas, Texas, which suffered damage in the recent winter storms, said the couple reached out to them and will replace the roof at their transitional housing facility.