- Prince Charles may stop funding Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle if they move away from royal duties, according to The Times.
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that they would take a "step back" from the royal family, and indicated that they no longer want to receive money from the taxpayer-funded sovereign grant, which pays for royal duties.
- While it is unlikely that Charles will completely cut the couple off financially, The Times said that the Prince of Wales "has made it clear that any agreement over money depends on the details of their future role and will only be settled once that has been decided."
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Prince Charles may stop funding Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle if they move away from royal duties, according to The Times.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that they would take a "step back" from the royal family, and indicated that they no longer want to receive money from the sovereign grant, which is the taxpayer-funded reserve used to pay for duties performed by the Queen and members of the royal family.
"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," the couple wrote on Wednesday.
"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America," they added.
Though Harry and Meghan have said that they no longer want to receive money from the sovereign grant, the bulk of their income actually comes from Prince Charles, the BBC reported.
Prince Charles provides his two sons with a stipend of about 5 million pounds ($6.5 million) a year for their official duties, money which comes from the Duchy of Cornwall, the Times said. Harry's share is estimated to be about half of that.
While it is unlikely that Charles will completely cut them off financially, The Times said that the Prince of Wales "has made it clear that any agreement over money depends on the details of their future role and will only be settled once that has been decided."
One of the major obstacles in discussions on Harry and Meghan's departure from royal responsibilities is their safety and security, particularly if they move abroad, according to The Times. Their protection is currently financed by UK taxpayers and amounts to hundreds and thousands of pounds per year, according to the outlet, and the cost is "likely to increase substantially" if they live overseas.
Reports indicate that the couple intends to spend much of their time in Canada, rather than the US.
According to The Times, the Queen and other family members were "hurt and disappointed" by the move.
In a statement issued just after their announcement, Buckingham Palace said that discussions between the couple and other members of the royal family were "at an early stage."
"We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through," the statement read.
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