
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles and will repay millions of pounds of taxpayers' money spent refurbishing Frogmore Cottage as the price of a 'Hard Megxit' deal, it was dramatically announced last night.

Under the terms of the historic deal thrashed out at Sandringham yesterday, the pair, who will be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will cease to be working members of the Royal Family from this spring and will not perform any official duties on behalf of the Queen – effectively leaving 'The Firm' completely.

The move will see Harry drop all of his official military positions and the couple will also spend the majority of their time in North America, a source told ITV.

The shock statement was announced by the Queen - but minutes later the couple sparked confusion when they updated their own website and signed off as 'Their Royal Highnesses'.

The announcement by Kensington Palace marks the conclusion of talks about their future after days of wrangling with senior members of the family and royal aides to thrash out a deal.

But Harry and Meghan, who sources say intend to spend 'the majority' of their time in North America, will pay a heavy financial and emotional cost.

As well as returning the £2.4 million spent on a lavish refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, they will pay a commercial rent – estimated at up to £360,000 a year – to retain it as their British home.

Prince Charles will continue to 'offer private financial support' and, crucially, the couple will have free rein to negotiate lucrative commercial deals that experts believe could net them hundreds of millions of pounds, although they have pledged 'to uphold the values of Her Majesty'.

A number of unresolved issues remain, including whether Harry and Meghan will be required to strip the word 'Royal' from their SussexRoyal website, and who will pick up the multi-million pound bill for their continuing security requirements.

The Queen, who took control of the crisis that threatened to permanently damage the monarchy, praised Meghan for swiftly becoming a part of the family and thanked the couple for the work they had done, saying she was pleased they had found a constructive way to move forward.

The couple (pictured in London last week), who will be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will stop carrying out royal duties from the spring

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer to use their HRH titles and will repay £2.4million of taxpayer's money spent on renovating their Berkshire home, the couple have announced, as talks about their future roles concluded. Pictured is the Queen's statement

And a statement from Buckingham Palace (pictured) read: 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark on the next chapter of their lives'

The Duke and Duchess' new website sussexroyal.com has been updated following the Queen's statement, saying: 'In line with the statement by Her Majesty The Queen, information on the roles and work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be updated on this website in due course'

Last night's bombshell announcement comes as:

Meghan's father Thomas Markle will break his silence in a Channel 5 documentary in which he will accuse her of cheapening' the Royal Family and throwing away 'every girl's dream' for money;

Footage showed Meghan joking that she and Prince Harry attended the premiere of The Lion King in London in order to 'pitch' for work;

At a women's hostel in Canada last week visited by the Duchess a trans woman paraded naked in front of female residents and posted a series of lewd comments on Facebook;

Sources said Harry may make a surprise appearance at a vital African investment summit which begins today.

In her statement, the Queen said: 'Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.

'Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.

'I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.

'I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.

Taxpayers look set to keep paying £7.6million-a-year security bill It seems the taxpayer will continue to pay Prince Harry and Meghan's £7.6million-a-year security bill, even though the couple have dropped their HRH titles. Meghan is whisked away by a police protection officer during a visit to Fiji in October 2018 There has been a growing row about who will pick up the couple's annual security bill as they split their time between the UK and Canada. And Buckingham Palace's bombshell announcement this evening didn't directly address the issue. Now a security expert has warned it could cost as much as £7.6million annually. Chris Matthews, formerly of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and who worked in the protection of visitors to Canada such as the Royal Family, has estimated the security measures required for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be similar to those of the Prime Minister. Advertisement

'It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.'

A statement from Buckingham Palace read: 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

'As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments.

'They will no longer receive public funds for royal duties. With the Queen's blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations.

'While they can no longer formally represent the Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty.

'The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared their wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home.

'Buckingham Palace does not comment on the details of security arrangements. There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly funded security.

'This new model will take effect in the Spring of 2020.'

All the new arrangements that are due to come into effect in the spring will be reviewed by Buckingham Palace in 12 months.

There was no immediate reaction from Prince William and Prince Charles to what has been dubbed a 'hard Megxit', which follows revelations that the couple were unhappy with life in the royal fishbowl.

The Duke and Duchess' new website sussexroyal.com has been updated following the Queen's statement, saying: 'In line with the statement by Her Majesty The Queen, information on the roles and work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be updated on this website in due course.'

Their new titles mirror the styling given to Harry's mother Diana after her divorce when she was no longer allowed to use HRH. She was known as Diana, Princess of Wales.

The change means Harry, who served a decade in the British Army, will give up his military patronages and his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, but will remain a prince and sixth in line to the British throne.

Harry, who has spoken fondly of his time in the Army, will lose several military roles including Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Commodore-in-Chief of the Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command. He will also no longer be a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.

The couple will no longer use the titles His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness, but they are not being stripped of them.

The Queen appeared stony-faced as she drove through Sandringham on Saturday afternoon, hours before the bombshell statements were issued

Insiders speak of the 'hundreds of thousands of pounds' made available to furnish the couple's Windsor home (pictured, Frogmore Cottage above). The Sussexes will pay back £2.4million of taxpayers' money spent on renovating the house in Berkshire

Despite the official statements saying they would no longer be funded by the taxpayer, it is understood Harry will still be reliant on the Bank of Dad - with Prince Charles bankrolling him from the Duchy of Cornwall.

What do the bombshell statements mean? Buckingham Palace has issued its latest statement concerning the crisis surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. What does it say? Harry and Meghan are no longer going to be working royals, will not be carrying out royals duties and they will not use their HRH styles. What does this mean? The couple have effectively stepped down, not just as senior royals, but as working royals in general. The dual role they suggested in their bombshell statement - of earning their own money and carrying out royal duties - is not going to happen. How will they be funded? Buckingham Palace said they will no longer receive public funds for royal duties, because they will not be carrying any out. When will the changes take place? In the spring of 2020. Will they be financially independent? Not completely. They will the earn their own money, but the Prince of Wales will also continue to offer private financial support to the couple. This is expected to come from his £21 million a year Duchy of Cornwall income. Will they still get round the clock protection officers paid for by the taxpayers? Buckingham Palace said it does not comment on security matters. But it added: 'There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly funded security.' And what about Frogmore Cottage? Harry and Meghan will pay back £2.4 million in taxpayers' money spent on renovating their Berkshire home. Will they still use it as their base when in the UK? Yes. And they will pay rent at a commercial rate on the property. Where will they spend most time? They will spend the majority of their time in North America. What about their patronages? They will keep their royal patronages as private patronages and associations. But Harry will be stepping down from his military appointments. He will no longer be Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington, and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands' Small Ships and Diving. What about their Commonwealth roles? Harry is quitting his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. But he will remain president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, and Meghan will still be the Trust's vice-president. What did the Queen say about the decision? She said they had her support and she recognised the 'challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years'. Advertisement

He currently receives around £2.3million a year. Other key questions remain.

Harry and Meghan's security needs will still have to be met - in the announcements they refused to divulge who would pay to keep them safe or how much it would cost.

But estimates have ranged between £1million to £7million. Canada is likely to have to pick up a sizeable chunk of the bill.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office declined to comment on Saturday's news.

The official statements do leave several key questions unanswered over Harry and Meghan's future.

The future of the couple's new website venture is unclear. It is not known whether they will hang on to the 'Sussex Royal' name if they are no longer officially part of royal life.

They were quick to update the website last night, but it still described them as 'Their Royal Highnesses'.

Prince Harry had been forced to delay flying back to Canada to be reunited with Meghan and baby Archie while the negotiations continued.

He has not seen them in almost a fortnight.

The Queen was seen with a steely expression behind the wheel of her Land Rover at Sandringham on Saturday afternoon, as the final touches were put on the Megxit deal.

She had ordered courtiers to hammer out a plan 'in days, not weeks' for a stripped-back Royal role for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan and Harry have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and the UK. The Duchess is in the Commonwealth country with son Archie where the Sussexes spent six weeks over the festive period.

The move was agreed by the Queen, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge following the Sussexes unprecedented statement released earlier this month saying they wanted to step back as senior royals and become financially independent.

Alistair Bruce, a commentator on the royals, told Sky News: 'I think the queen has dealt with this crisis because she has absolutely drawn the line: you can be private people, but you cannot be royal at the same time.

'There's no halfway house.'

Royal expert Penny Junor said the new arrangement was 'the best possible outcome and an outcome which will actually avoid catastrophe'.

She said: 'I think it is the best possible outcome, and an outcome which will actually avoid catastrophe.

'The country was so divided about this and so angry and so upset, so I think it was all a big mess and it was getting nastier by the day.'

Ms Junor added that it would have been 'tragic' if the pair had to give up their patronages, particularly if Harry was made to leave the Invictus Games after founding it.

'They're hanging onto their patronages which I think is absolutely terrific because they both care passionately about making the world a better place,' she said.

She went on to praise the agreement that Harry and Meghan will be stepping back from royal duties and will not receive public funds as a clean break for the pair.

'There are no blurred lines.

'They are starting afresh and they are going with the Queen's blessing, I think it is the best of all worlds,' the royal commentator added.

The announcement from the palace on Saturday confirmed that the Duke and Duchess (pictured) will continue their private patronages and associations with the Queen's blessing

Meghan Markle appeared fresh and happy as she drove herself to the airport in Canada on Friday, but was accompanied by a security guard

Prince Harry was pictured in London on Friday after he attended an event at Buckingham Palace. The Queen had recently held a summit meeting with senior members of the royal family

Ms Junor went on to say that the choice to retain, but not use, the HRH title was significant. 'There is greater prestige to the HRH, it is the title of a working member of the royal family,' she said.

'I think holding onto it is very very good because it means that if something was to happen in the future, and who knows what might happen in the future, circumstances might change and they might want to come back.

'They might want to do royal work again, they might be needed. I think not to burn bridges is a good thing. It does mean that they won't be able to cash in, one would hope, on their royal status.'

However, the royal expert added it was 'currently ambiguous' whether the pair would be able to use the term Sussex Royal, including on their official website Sussexroyal.com.

Although she praised the agreement as positive for both the couple and the royal family, Ms Junor said: 'The British public have lost out because these are two fantastic people who sprinkle fairy dust wherever they go and we are going to miss that, but clearly it was not making them happy.'

A source said the royal family and the Sussexes 'were pleased' to have reached a 'successful conclusion' to the talks.

The source said: 'There has been an acceptance and understanding of what it is the Sussexes want to achieve and a genuine desire to come up with a new way of working to support their wish for a more independent life.

'The issues involved are complicated, that said the announcement meets Her Majesty and the family's wish for a speedy resolution, the nature of the issue has necessitated a number of detailed conversations between officials and members of the family.

'They were all extremely friendly and constructive because the common goal was clear, as was the desire to reach a successful conclusion - everyone was pleased to have got here today.'

Royal accounts published last summer revealed £2.4million of tax-payers' money was spent on Meghan and Harry's grade-II listed Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle.

It turned five properties back into a single residence for the couple and their baby son Archie.

The amount spent was heavily criticised at the time by the organisation Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state.

The military ranks that Prince Harry will give up The Duke of Sussex has been the Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Honington since 2008. He succeeded his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the role. He has also been the Captain General of the Royal Marines since December 2017. The Afghan war veteran was made Captain General of the elite Corps last year, replacing Prince Philip. Prince Harry is currently the Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving for the Royal Naval Command. He has held this title since 2006. Advertisement

But all fixtures and fittings for the home close to Windsor Castle were paid for privately by the Duke and Duchess.

In a move that reveals the couple may have been trying to avoid a public backlash over the funds spent on the home, they have said they want to repay the amount.

The Queen has said Frogmore will remain their home, and when the couple are in the UK they are likely to stay at the property and will pay a commercial rent on it.

The couple's statement said they 'will no longer receive public funds for Royal duties', one of the requests of the Sussexes who said on their new website they wanted to step away from public money so they could be financially independent.

The Prince had been spotted last night in the capital after spending the evening dining with friends at Brook House Pub in Fulham, west London.

Following a crunch summit between Princes Charles, William and Harry last Monday, the Queen agreed to let the Sussexes step back from official duties and tasked Palace aides with drawing up a blueprint for the couple's future in double-time.

Harry had been expected to fly back across the Atlantic this weekend after hosting the Rugby League World Cup draw at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

Prince Harry gets new title just like his mother: Will be styled as Harry, Duke of Sussex in echo of Diana, Princess of Wales The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will lose their HRH titles under the conditions of the 'Megxit' agreement just as Princess Diana had done 24 years ago. Pictured: Princess Diana and Prince Harry in 1987 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will lose their HRH titles under the conditions of the 'Megxit' agreement just as Princess Diana had done 24 years ago. Part of the deal means that the couple will now only be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, echoing Princess Diana's own royal path. Princess Diana, Harry's mother, similarly dropped her HRH title 24 years ago. Diana Spencer had originally gained the title HRH Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles in 1981. But following a turbulent relationship she forfeited the HRH title when the couple divorced in 1996. The Palace said at the time that she had relinquished the title voluntarily and from then on she was instead referred to as Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana died just one year later and Buckingham Palace began discussions about whether to posthumously restore the HRH to her name. But officials ultimately decided not to do so as her family said it would have been against her wishes. Earl Spencer, speaking during Diana's funeral in September 1997, said that she 'needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic'. It is thought that posthumously awarding a former member of the Royal Family the HRH title has never happened before, according to royal historians. Speaking to the BBC at the time, constitutional historian Lord Blake said: 'It's never been done before - There's no example that I know of. 'I'm by no means sure that it would have been entirely wise to do it at this juncture, after all, Princess Diana herself let it be known after the divorce that she did not want to continue as HRH.' Diana Spencer had originally gained the title HRH Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles in 1981. But following a turbulent relationship she forfeited the HRH title when the couple divorced in 1996 Advertisement

The last time he saw his son was at the $14million Vancouver Island mansion where he and Meghan spent Christmas - and Archie stayed when they returned to the UK say they planned to quit as senior Royals.

As well as splits between the Palace and Sussex households, friends claim that Harry and Meghan are themselves divided over where in Canada to settle down.

Prince Andrew drives to lunch with the Queen Prince Andrew joined the Queen and Prince Philip for lunch at Sandringham yesterday to keep his mother company in the midst of the Megxit crisis. The Duke of York was pictured rumbling through the Norfolk estate behind the wheel of his Land Rover Defender. Wearing a flat cap and green fleecy coat, he drove with a man and mystery blonde woman to Wood Farm where he met his regal parents following a shoot. Advertisement

The Duke is believed to be happy to continue living on the west coast near Vancouver, while his ex-actress wife is understood to favour Toronto, where she lived during her time filming Suits.

'Meghan has a lot of connections here. She finds it comfortable and believes it is somewhere they can develop new roles and pursue her interests,' a source told the Times.

Prince Andrew was also spotted at Sandringham on Saturday, where he was understood do have had lunch with the Queen and Prince Philip.

It recently emerged that Meghan's team pre-approved text and pictures sent out after her carefully-choreographed charity visit in Vancouver earlier this week.

The Duchess of Sussex visited feminist climate change group Justice For Girls in Vancouver on Tuesday in one of the first times she has been seen since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were quitting as senior royals.

Her visit was publicised on the group's Twitter account but only after Meghan's team apparently gave the go-ahead, The Daily Telegraph reports.

On Friday, Meghan took full advantage of her newfound independence from the Crown as she drove herself to a Canadian airport to pick up a pilates expert pal who jetted in from the US for the weekend.

The Duchess of Sussex was spotted in photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com parked outside Victoria International Airport in a Land Rover Discovery on Thursday afternoon.

'What a piece of work': Piers Morgan says he is only surprised it took Meghan this long to get Harry to ditch his family Piers Morgan has taken to Twitter to respond to Buckingham Palace's bombshell announcement last night that Prince Harry and Meghan will be stepping down as Royal Highnesses. He wrote: 'BREAKING: The Queen's told Megan/Harry to sling their part-time royal hook. 'Well done, Your Majesty - right decision. Only surprised it took her so long to get Harry to ditch his family, the Monarchy, the military and his country. Piers Morgan has taken to Twitter to respond to Buckingham Palace's bombshell announcement last night that Prince Harry and Meghan will be stepping down as Royal Highnesses The enraged Good Morning Britain host continued to vent his outrage by saying: 'Bottom line: Meghan/Harry wanted to have their cake and eat it, but the Queen just took the cake back to the royal kitchens' 'What a piece of work.' The enraged Good Morning Britain host continued to vent his outrage by saying: 'Bottom line: Meghan/Harry wanted to have their cake and eat it, but the Queen just took the cake back to the royal kitchens.' Morgan then began replying to other Twitter users with his opinion on certain aspects of the couple's new role. In response to ITV News's Royal Editor Chris Ship, who tweeted a quote from the former head of the Navy on the topic of Harry stepping down, Morgan wrote: 'Staggering that Harry would turn his back on the military like this.' Due to Harry giving up his military ranks, he passed on the position of Captain General to the Royal Marines from his grandfather, Prince Philip, who had held it from 1953 to 2017. Piers Morgan said: 'Philip must be devastated.' However he took some solace in the situation and said: 'On a positive note, this spells the death on arrival of Meghan and Harry's plan for a 'progressive' new Monarchy. 'So they thankfully won't be 'woking' the Windsors after all.' As a teaser to his next column, the TV presenter replied to a tweet from a fan which read: 'Am I the only one waiting for Piers Morgan to publish an article?!' Morgan responded ominously to say: '36 hours...' Advertisement

Queen says she is 'particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family' - as she reveals Megxit is result of 'many months of conversations'

The Queen has expressed how she is 'particularly proud' of Meghan as she reveals the couple's announcement to step down as senior royals is the result of 'many months of conversations'.

Her Majesty praised how Meghan has swiftly become part of the family and thanked the couple for the work they had done, saying she was pleased they had found a constructive way to move forward.

She expressed her desire for the family to create a 'happy and peaceful life' which the couple intend to purse in North America where they can set their own agenda and make money how they choose.

In her statement Her Majesty The Queen praised how Meghan had swiftly become part of the family and thanked the couple for the work they had done

Buckingham Palace announced last night the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles and will repay £2.4million of taxpayers' money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home.

The couple, who will be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will also stop carrying out royal duties from the spring.

In her statement, the Queen said: 'Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.

Line-by-line: What the Queen said and what she meant in her statement 1 'Following many months of conversations': The opening line begins with a bombshell, revealing that Harry and Meghan have been discussing their exit from royal life with the Queen and other senior royals for longer than the public expected. The couple announced their intention to step back as senior royals on January 8. In a statement the Duke and Duchess said: 'After many months of reflection and internal discussions.' 2 'My grandson and his family': The Queen highlights her personal bond with Harry and refers to him as her 'grandson' emphasising her role as not just the monarch but also his grandmother. The word 'family' appears four times in the statement which relates to the Royal Family and the family unit of Harry, Meghan and Archie. 3 'Much-loved members of my family': The Queen hits a personal note by emphasising how Meghan, Harry and Archie will always remain 'much-loved' members of her family. The statement has a deeply personal tone with the use of three 'I's' and three 'my's' throughout its five paragraphs. 4 'The Commonwealth': The Queen expresses her gratitude for the work Meghan and Harry have contributed to 'the Commonwealth and beyond'. Meghan and Harry wish to pursue an independent life in Canada, another Commonwealth country. 5 'Particularly proud': The Queen pays tribute to Meghan and praises how quickly she has become part of the family. This is in light of how many feel the Queen has every right to be unhappy with the way the Duchess has behaved. 6 'My whole family's hope': Here the monarch speaks as a head of the Royal Family as a whole, putting aside her personal feelings for the greater good. Advertisement

'Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.

'I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.'

'I want to thank them all for their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.

'It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.'

Meghan Markle's team pre-approved text and pictures sent out after her carefully choreographed charity visit when she was given 18ct gold necklace worth £1,300 Meghan Markle's team pre-approved text and pictures sent out after her carefully-choreographed charity visit in Vancouver earlier this week. The Duchess of Sussex visited feminist climate change group Justice For Girls in Vancouver on Tuesday in one of the first times she has been seen since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were quitting as senior royals. Her visit was publicised on the group's Twitter account but only after Meghan's team apparently gave the go-ahead, The Daily Telegraph reports. Meghan Markle's team pre-approved text and pictures sent out after her carefully-choreographed charity visit in Vancouver earlier this week. Pictured: One of the images shared by feminist climate change group Justice For Girls The charity's co-director Zoe Craig-Sparrow confirmed that that charity had sent the proposed Tweet to the Duchess's team first. She said: 'And we wanted to ensure that what we were putting forward was an accurate representation of the meeting – we thought it went really well, but obviously we want to make sure that was reciprocated.' On the visit, Meghan was gifted an 18ct gold and diamond whale tail charm necklace by a First Nations artist. The Duchess of Sussex visited Justice For Girls in Vancouver on Tuesday in one of the first times she has been seen since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were quitting as senior royals. Pictured: One of the images shared by Justice For Girls The necklace was designed by Hollie Bartlett, who is a member of the Haisla Nation. Hollie hand-picked the piece from her collection at Vancouver's Douglas Reynolds Gallery, which specialises in historic and contemporary northwest coast native art. Meghan's visit to Justice for Girls was one of two charity visits she made that day. The other was to Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, however she never stepped foot inside the refuge. Nor did she actually meet with any of the 500 at-risk women who use the Downtown Eastside Center in one of Canada's poorest areas. On the visit, Meghan was gifted an 18ct gold and diamond whale tail charm necklace by a First Nations artist Meghan's visit to Justice for Girls was one of two charity visits she made that day. The other was to Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, however she never stepped foot inside the refuge (pictured) Instead the Duchess of Sussex went to the Vancouver organisation's administrative offices in a former hotel building, where she met only with members of staff, acting executive director Kate Gibson said. Logistics for the visit to the centre itself would have been too difficult, Gibson explained. For one thing the centre only allows in 'women and those who self-identify as women' so Royal Protection Officers would have had to stay outside, she said. She broke cover at the vulnerable women's centre after a 'mysterious' email from a Hotmail account arrived asking if she could drop in. It came from Meghan's 'assistant' - not a royal aide, according to the centre's boss Ms Gibson. On Thursday, Meghan drove herself to a Canadian airport to pick up a pilates-expert friend who jetted in from the US for the weekend. The Duchess of Sussex was spotted in photos parked outside Victoria International Airport in a Land Rover Discovery. She appeared to be in high spirits as she chatted with a male companion in the front seat, believed to be personal security, for about 10 minutes until her friend Heather Dorak arrived. The Duchess of Sussex went to the Vancouver organization's administrative offices in a former hotel building, where she met only with members of staff, acting executive director Kate Gibson (pictured) said More than 5,000 miles away in London, her husband Harry made his first public appearance since the Megxit bombshell - and potentially his last engagement as a frontline royal - at the draw for the Rugby League World Cup at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. And Harry and Meghan's staff at Frogmore Cottage are reportedly being 'let go', in the surest sign yet the couple will settle permanently in Canada with the Duchess strongly rumoured never to return. This week, a close friend said: 'Meghan felt she had to escape because living within the royal confines was soul crushing.' Meghan's friend explained that the 38-year-old feels she can 'finally breathe' since leaving and has free reign over her life again. They also explained that Meghan felt that living within the royal family confines was 'soul crushing' and she didn't want her son around such a 'toxic environment', deciding to leave in part for his benefit. Advertisement

It is understood officials are yet to iron out several key issues, including the Sussexes' security, titles and future finances

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will still get cash from The Bank Of Dad: Prince is expected to keep getting £2.3m Duchy of Cornwall cash from Charles while pair are free to do commercial deals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to continue received £2.3million-a-year from the Duchy of Cornwall via Prince Charles.

Buckingham Palace's bombshell announcement last night revealed that the couple will give up their Sovereign Grant money - which equates to about £100,000-a-year.

They will also be repaying the £2.4million Sovereign Grant cash that was used for their Frogmore Cottage revamp.

However, it is believed Prince Charles will continue to fund their lifestyles and the Palace's statement made no mention of it.

Royal Correspondent Rebecca English said: 'Harry and Meghan will not receive any further public funding but will continue to receive funds from the Prince of Wales privately.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to continue received £2.3million-a-year from the Duchy of Cornwall via Prince Charles

According to a former aide, 'Prince Charles's attitude is always just pay what needs to be paid and move on.'

'It's usually the path of least resistance when it's to do with the boys.'

But those familiar with some of the eye-watering numbers which have crossed the royal desk at Clarence House say there is another side to the story.

One figure went so far as to say that the money he spends, not just on Harry and Meghan but also on financing William and Kate, was 'draining him'.

Officially, the brothers and their households are funded out of Charles's Duchy of Cornwall estate, but, in fact, the Prince has at times had to dip into his own private reserves.

Buckingham Palace's bombshell announcement last night revealed the couple will give up their Sovereign Grant money - which equates to about £100,000-a-year

At one stage he was paying the Sussexes more than William and his family. That figure is now understood to be around the same, with Harry and William each receiving approximately £2.5million.

However, the Prince has let it be known that his funds are not inexhaustible and that there is a limit to how far and how much he can pay.

Insiders speak of the 'hundreds of thousands of pounds' the Prince made available to furnish the couple's Windsor home after their decision to abandon Kensington Palace.

They will also be repaying the £2.4million Sovereign Grant cash that was used for their Frogmore Cottage revamp

According to a source, the figures involved in providing for both boys have in recent times been flagged up to the Prince by his accounting staff on more than one occasion.

'There's usually a raised eyebrow, but the Prince always just signs them off,' says the source.

All the same, he has made it clear that while he will continue to fund his sons, there can be, as one courtier put it, 'no blank cheque'.

The couple will now be free to do any commercial deals they like and appear to be continuing their 'Sussex Royal' brand, even though they are no long Royal Highnesses.

If Meghan were to go back to acting she could be in for a princely sum of money, as she made £3million from appearing on American TV show Suits.