Update (January 9, 2020): After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back as “senior” members of the Royal Family, employees at Madame Tussauds London swiftly moved into action.
The general manager of the museum said the wax figures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been removed from its royal set alongside the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife Kate.
“From today Meghan and Harry’s figures will no longer appear in our royal family set,” general manager Steve Davies said after the couple’s likenesses was missing from their post.
"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," Davies said. "As two of our most popular and well-loved figures, they will, of course, remain an important feature at Madame Tussauds London as we watch to see what the next chapter holds for them."
The petty reaction from the museum comes as a surprise just as the royal couple’s announcement on Wednesday.
In an Instagram post, the couple said they "intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent."
According to Yahoo, Madame Tussauds, which contains more than 250 wax models, will place Prince Harry and Markle in a separate section away from the royal family.
The museum said the decision will mirror the couple’s wishes to establish a "progressive new role within the Royal institution."
In a statement sent to Blavity, a spokesperson for Madame Tussaud's New York, Brittany Williams, said they'll also be moving the figures:
“Our experiences bring iconic moments to life; to reflect the announcement we will be moving the popular figures to another area in the attraction upon their return to Madame Tussauds New York," the statement read. "We look forward to spending more time with the couple in North America and we will continue to watch to see what the next chapter holds for them.”
Original (January 8, 2020): Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle announced on Wednesday they will be stepping back as "senior members of the Royal Family."
The couple shared their plans to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America in an Instagram post.
"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. 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 post read.
The new parents said taking a step back and relocating their family will allow them "to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born" and focus on their new charity endeavors.
"We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties," the post continued.
Shortly after their announcement, the Queen said their decision is a "complicated" process.
“Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are 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 Queen’s office of Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
According to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s website, the couple will also be adopting a new media approach in the spring of 2020.
Most notably of their changes, the family will no longer participate in the Royal Rota system. The system was implemented more than 40 years ago giving exclusive access to the UK media to official engagements of the Royal Family.
The two decided to elect out of the Royal Rota system as a reflection of their change within the family and financial independence. According to their website, they are the only members of the Royal Family to adopt the new policy change.
Their announcement comes on the heels of Markle saying she’s not OK amid criticism as a new member of the Royal Family and recently giving birth to the couple’s first child, Archie, as Blavity previously reported.
“Look, any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, is really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging. And when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,” the duchess said, nearly crying.
“So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom and trying to be a newlywed. I guess — and also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK — but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," Markle added.
Prince Harry also came to his wife’s defense after facing brutal criticism.
“My wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences—a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son,” he said.
The Duke and Duchess’ decision to take a step back and operate financially independent from the Royal Family is a major step as they work to find balance. We hope this new decision brings them peace and happiness.
