It's official. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared the date they will wave goodbye to the Royal family and their senior duties
Words by Ally Head
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess Of Sussex, announced last month that they are stepping back from their duties as senior Royal family members.
News just in today: they've announced the date for their final Royal engagement, in other words, the last day they'll be working as members of the Royal family, and it's sooner than you may have thought.
A spokesperson for the Royal family has confirmed that the Duke and Duchess’ last official solo event together will be the Mountbatten Music Festival on 7 March, with the couple's duties coming to end officially on 31 March.
So what other events will Harry and Meghan be representing the Royals at before they step down?
According to official sources, one or both of them are slated to be in attendance at six separate events before the end of March swings around.
Harry will attend the Invictus Games event on 28 February, where pop star and singer Jon Bon Jovi will be performing. Next, the couple will both be attending this year's Endeavour Fund Awards, on 5 March. Not forgetting the Silverstone Experience, which Harry is scheduled to be attending solo on 6 March.
As above, it's been confirmed they will both attend the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 March and, further, that Meghan will mark International Women's Day on 8 March. And finally, they will both make their last appearance as senior members of the Royal family with the Queen and the rest of the Royals at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.
Their new lives will official start on March 31, after their final appearances. So what does Meghan and Harry stepping down from their Royal duties actually mean for the rest of the Royal family? They will no longer be undertaking any Royal duties that the Queen asks of them, taking effect from the beginning of April. They'll also be splitting their time between the UK and North America.
What this means for the future of the Sussex Royals name they've used to brand their not-for-profit organisation is still to be decided.
