Harry and Meghan are officially out of the royal family

A year after they quit their royal duties, Prince Harry will give up his honorary military appointments and patronage, having assured Queen Elizabeth II that he and his wife Megan Markle will no longer be serving members of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are formally known, has since embarked on a new life involving several commercial ventures in the United States, and they now live in California.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 05: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex sitting next to Ross Kemp cheer on a wedding proposal as they attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House on March 5, 2020, in London, England. Their Royal Highnesses will celebrate the achievements of wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women who have taken part in remarkable sporting and adventure challenges over the last year. (Photo by Paul Edwards – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan announced in January last year that they had left the royal family, and this measure comes after they announced at the beginning of the same month their intention to leave and be financially independent and divide their time between Canada and the United Kingdom. The couple’s agreement with Buckingham Palace expires on March 31, 2021.

The Duke of Sussex will lose his military titles, while his wife will lose her sponsorship of charitable activities, according to a royal palace statement that said, “Everyone is sad about this decision.”

“The Queen has written an affirmation that by giving up the business of the royal family, the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service cannot be continued,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement Friday.