What's Going On With Harry and Meghan? Everything to Know About Their Royal Exit

Now that Harry and Meghan are no longer senior members of the royal family and have moved to LA, the couple have chosen to sever ties with several British tabloids. In April, Harry and Meghan sent a letter to the editors of The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, and Daily Express, saying they refuse to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion" and will have "zero engagement" with the publications.

"It is gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media, over many years, has sought to insulate themselves from taking accountability for what they say or print — even when they know it to be distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason. When power is enjoyed without responsibility, the trust we all place in this much-needed industry is degraded," the letter read. "There is a real human cost to this way of doing business and it affects every corner of society. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know — as well as complete strangers — have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue."

Harry and Meghan's royal duties officially ended on March 31, and the couple no longer hold an office at Buckingham Palace. "The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America," their spokesperson told People in February. "In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year.

"In general, the themes of their cause related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively."

Ahead of their exit, Harry and Meghan hired Catherine St-Laurent, who previously worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as their new chief of staff and the executive director of their new nonprofit organization.

"We are proud to be joined by Catherine St-Laurent in this next chapter with us. Her leadership and proven track record working within two organizations that have tremendous impact in the world — the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Pivotal Ventures — make her an incredible asset and we are excited to have her on our team," the couple told People in a statement. The new nonprofit will replace Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal charity, which the pair officially shut down, Us Weekly reported on July 3.

Harry and Meghan will keep their HRH styles but will not actively use them. As of March 21, Meghan is no longer listed as "Her Royal Highness" on several websites and social media accounts for charities she works with. But she and Harry will continue to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, and the Baron and Baroness Kilkeel. Harry will also retain the ranks of major, lieutenant commander, and squadron leader, though his honorary military positions will not be used during the 12-month period. He will remain sixth in line for the British throne, and Harry and Meghan's status in the order of precedence will remain the same.

However, they will not use the word "royal" moving forward. "While The Duke and Duchess are focused on plans to establish a new non-profit organisation, given the specific UK government rules surrounding use of the word 'Royal,' it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organisation, when it is announced this Spring, will not be named Sussex Royal Foundation," a spokesperson said in a statement, according to People.

A day before they officially stepped down as royals, Harry and Meghan announced the end of their @sussexroyal Instagram account, as well as their official website. "As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute," their joint statement read. "While you may not see us here, the work continues. Thank you to this community - for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You've been great!"

In addition, the trademark applications that were filed for "Sussex Royal" have been removed.

Following a series of meetings at Sandringham estate, the queen responded to Harry and Meghan's historic announcement with a statement of her own, which read as follows:

"Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.

Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.

It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.

These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days."

On Jan. 13, Harry attended a crisis talk meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, and Prince Charles to talk about his and Meghan's future, though the duchess was absent because she was in Canada with her son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. It was initially reported that Meghan phoned in to the meeting, but a royal aide told Harper's Bazaar that "in the end, the Sussexes decided that it wasn't necessary for the duchess to join."

According to TMZ, Meghan and Harry's lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to British media outlets on Jan. 21 saying that legal action will be taken if they publish or purchase recent photos of Meghan on a walk with Archie and her two dogs. "There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose" the letter reportedly read. The letter also hints that a lawsuit may already be in the works because multiple outlets have already published the photos in question.