The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are closing their office at Buckingham Palace, which will lead to some of its 15 employees becoming redundant.
The couple announced that they were stepping back as senior royals in January and are no longer in need of an office in London. As details are being finalised, some of the employees will be redeployed within the royal household but there will be some redundancies.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left for Canada with their son Archie after they made their announcement and are working to become financially independent. The Duchess of Sussex lived in Canada previously while she was working as an actress on “Suits.” They will repay the funding they received for the renovation of Frogmore cottage and will refrain from using the style of HRH. However, they have not been stripped of any titles and are still a part of the royal family.
A statement from Buckingham Palace in January stated:
“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.”
