Prince Harry has revealed his "great sadness" following the news that he and Meghan Markle would be stepping down from the royal family.
While delivering a speech at The Ivy Chelsea Club for his charity, Sentebale on Sunday evening, the Duke of Sussex explained that it wasn't a decision he had made lightly and said it had come after "so many years of challenges".
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"The UK is my home and a place that I love. That will never change," he explained.
"I have grown up feeling support from so many of you, and I watched as you welcomed Meghan with open arms as you saw me find the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life. Finally, the second son of Diana got hitched, hooray!
"I also know you've come to know me well enough over all these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do.
"And she does, and she's the same woman I fell in love with. We both do everything we can to fly the flag and carry out our roles for this country with pride."
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Touching on the reasons why the pair have stepped down, Harry continued: "Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve.
"For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges.
"And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you.
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"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible."
Speaking about his grandmother, the Queen - who announced the news in a statement this weekend - Harry said he had the "utmost respect" for the monarch.
"I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months," he said.
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In the statement, Her Majesty thanked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their work, adding that she was proud of her granddaughter-in-law.
"It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life," she wrote.
Topics: Life News, News, Royal, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle
