Harry and Meghan cutting royal purse strings

Prince Harry created an uproar in the United Kingdom on Tuesday with the surprise announcement that he and his family would step back from royal duties. He and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said they plan to become financially independent, focus on their own charity work, and split their time between the U.K. and North America. Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, reportedly did not know about the announcement beforehand.

Are Harry and Meghan mad at the queen? The couple’s main beef appears to be with the British press, which has an almost bloodthirsty obsession with the royals. Meghan, an American who had a successful acting career before marrying Harry in 2018, has admitted to struggling with the media pressure, especially since the birth of the couple’s son, Archie, in 2019. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and the late Princess Diana. He is sixth in line for the throne behind his father, his older brother Prince William, and William’s three children.

Dig deeper: Read Rob Holmes’ report in Compassion about how Harry and Meghan’s blockbuster wedding at Windsor Castle shed light on the neighborhood’s homeless population.