Britain's royal family scrambled Thursday to contain the fallout from the surprise announcement by Prince Harry and Meghan that they plan "to step back" from royal duties, a shift that ignited public unease in the U.K.
The couple's declaration that they planned to forge a "progressive" new path for royals in the modern world upset senior royals -- who apparently weren't told of the decision in advance.
Britain's media didn't like it either, lambasting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in articles, columns and editorials Thursday that expressed everything from disappointment to fury.
The Daily Mirror said in an editorial that the couple's failure to tell Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, about their plans "shows shocking disregard for a woman whose entire life has been ruled by a sense of public duty and honor." The Times of London accused Harry of "petulance and hot-headedness," while the Daily Mail said the couple wanted "the status of being 'senior' royals but the privacy and freedom of being private citizens."
The Sun and the New York Post described the departure as "Megxit," a play on Brexit, Britain's impending departure this month from the European Union. The New York Post, a Rupert Murdoch paper, featured a cover cartoon drawing of the couple's alleged future: the duchess in curlers holding a cigarette while Harry in a stained T-shirt cradled a beer in front of a television.
Less than 24 hours after the announcement, Madame Tussauds removed its wax figures of Harry and Meghan from their display of Britain's royal family.
The waxworks were unveiled in May 2018, ahead of the couple's wedding in Windsor, England.
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The likenesses of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, remain on display alongside figures of the queen and her husband, Prince Philip.
"Alongside the rest of the world we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior royals," Steve Davies, general manager of Madame Tussauds London, told the Independent on Thursday.
Harry, 35, is Elizabeth's grandson and sixth in line to the British throne, behind his father, brother and his brother's three children. He is one of the royal family's most recognizable and popular members and has spent his entire life in the public eye.
Before marrying the prince in a royal wedding watched around the world in 2018, the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex was American actress Meghan Markle, a star of the TV legal drama Suits. The couple's first child, Archie, was born in May 2019.
The uproar began Wednesday with a statement from Buckingham Palace, described as "a personal message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex." It said Harry and Meghan intend to become financially independent and to "balance" their time between the U.K. and North America.
Hours after Harry and Meghan's announcement, though, a difference of opinion was laid bare. Buckingham Palace issued a second statement, saying many issues still had to be worked out before the couple's plan could be realized and discussions with the couple "were at an early stage."
That communique hinted that Harry and Meghan's statement had caught the royal household by surprise.
"We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through," it read.
The message about their future plans was also posted on the couple's official Instagram page and referred readers to their website for information. But the statement and launching of the website was apparently not cleared with senior royals or their advisers.
The royal pair described their new roles on their new website. The site noted that the Sovereign Grant, which funds the monarchy, covers just 5% of the costs for the duke and duchess and is used for their official office expenses. They said they want to cut this financial tie.
Many royal watchers on Thursday offered sympathy for the queen.
"We don't mind them having an ordinary life. What we don't like is the queen not being informed about nothing," said royal fan John Loughrey, adding that the British public did not want to see the royal couple "isolated" abroad.
Information for this article was contributed by Danica Kirka, Jill Lawless and Gregory Katz of The Associated Press; and by Jennifer Hassan of The Washington Post.
A Section on 01/10/2020