Queen throws shade at Harry and Meghan online

It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for the royal family, after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to step down as senior members of the royal family.

The Queen is said to have summoned the family to have crisis talks over the future of the Sussexes and Prince Charles and Prince William are believed to be absolutely livid, after only hearing about their plan ten minutes before they posted it to their Instagram page.

However, while Diana’s sons may be at loggerheads and the Queen ‘hurt’ by Harry and Meghan leaving her in the dark about their plans, it seems there was still time for the monarch to throw a little shade at the Sussexes in the form of a birthday message for Kate Middleton.

In a Twitter post wishing the Duchess of Cambridge a Happy Birthday, the royal family linked out to an official portfolio of all the work Kate does for the Firm.

“Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday! Find out more about The Duchess and her work here,” the message read.

It linked out to The Duchess of Cambridge’s personal bio on royal.uk, which lists all the charitable causes the Duchess supports.

Many people online took this as a dig at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who received no mention of their work when the Queen wished them well on their birthdays last year.

“HRH showing that American how to be a member of the royal family and doing it with grace and poise. If the Sussexes want to leave, strip them of their titles, cut the royal purse strings and let them fend themselves, oh by the way, kindly refund the tax payer for Frogmore,” one angry royal fan tweeted.

“Kate is the epitome of elegance, grace & hard work, she’s a credit to the Royal family. Shame the other two,” another person wrote.

Others were furious that the Sussexes had overshadowed the Duchess of Cambridge’s 38th birthday with their announcement.

“So, there we have it...Harry and Meghan’s statement deliberately made to overshadow this birthday and spoil it. Darling Kate will always be our favourite, such a stalwart...HAPPY BIRTHDAY you wonderful lad,” one person wrote.

“Happy Birthday . So sorry you sister in law and brother in law have cast a shadow on your day. You are a credit to yourself, your family and the royal family,” another fan of Kate’s said.

Prince Harry Meghan Markle step back

Prince Harry and Meghan shocked the world when they announced they will "step back" as senior members of the royal family and will now divide their time between the UK and North America on Thursday morning.

The couple's groundbreaking decision came in a statement shared to Instagram, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they will work to become financially independent while continuing to "fully support" the Queen.

"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," the couple said in their statement.

"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.

"It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.

"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.

"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."

The couple also unveiled a brand new website following on from their announcement, which detailed plans for their "new working model" as the couple intend to move into a "progressive new role".

The website explains the pair's new media relations policy, as well as looking at the future of their charities and explaining how they will be funded.

At one point, the site explains: "Under the current structure and financing arrangements, they are prohibited from earning any income in any form."

The new system will see them give up their Sovereign Grant income - which comes from the money the Queen gets from taxpayers each year - and instead earn money through commercial deals and charity work.

Sussexroyal.com noted that Harry and Meghan "value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing" - although they will still continue to base themselves at Frogmore Cottage with the Queen's permission, and taxpayers will fund their security.

The detailed website also addresses changes to their approach to the media, including stepping away from the 'royal rota' system and offering access to invited media, as well as offering news via their own official channels and communications.

With extra reporting by Bang Showbiz

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