ROYAL SPLIT: Harry and Meghan quit their ‘jobs’, shock the Palace

Prince Harry and Meghan have quit their jobs as senior members of the royal family in a move that appears to have caught Buckingham Palace by surprise.

In an unprecedented move, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they want to become “financially independent” while “continuing to fully support Her Majesty”.

In a press release issued Thursday morning (Australian time), the couple said they will split their time living in the UK and northern America.

But in a statement issued by the royal family about an hour later, the Palace said the conversations were in “early stages” and the issue was “complicated”.

This just got messy pic.twitter.com/kjnkaaCNic

— Charles Croucher (@ccroucher9) January 8, 2020

The BBC is going as far as reporting that the Palace did not know about the statement before it was released.

Harry and Meghan, other the other hand, said their decision had come from months of reflection.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year” they wrote, explaining that they hope to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” Harry and Meghan said.

“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,” they said.

“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,” they wrote.

“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

3AW Breakfast’s UK correspondent Gavin Grey said there was lots on unanswered questions.

“Make no bones about this: This is a seismic change within the royal family,” he said.

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(Image: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)