Waxwork museum Madame Tussauds has removed figures of Duke and Duchess of Sussex from its royal family display in London.

The removal comes after the couple announced in a statement on Instagram that they were stepping down from their roles as senior royals and were looking to become financially independent.

The royal family display now has an empty space where Prince Harry and Meghan were displayed.

Before their removal, they were placed next to figures of other royal family members, including the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince William and his wife Kate.

Steve Davies, general manager of the London museum, said the couple will be displayed elsewhere.

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Waxwork museum Madame Tussauds has removed figures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from its British royal family display in London after the couple announced they were stepping down as senior royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in a statement on Instagram on Wednesday that they were transitioning out of their senior roles in the royal family to "carve out a progressive new role within this institution" and become financially independent.

On Thursday, photos of the Madame Tussauds royal display showed an empty space where Meghan and Harry hsf once been, next to figures of the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince William and his wife Kate.

Steve Davies, general manager of the London museum, told the Evening Standard that Harry and Meghan's wax figures would no longer appear in the royal family display, but would remain inside the museum elsewhere.

"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," he said.

The empty space left next to the figures of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as Madame Tussauds London moved its figures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from its Royal Family set to elsewhere in the attraction Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their departure from senior royal duties on Wednesday, the royal communications office released its own statement claiming discussions were still in 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 said.

The BBC reported that the royal family was not told Harry and Meghan were making their announcement.