The Queen 'just as perplexed as everybody else' about Meghan and Harry's new role

The Queen will be “just as perplexed as everybody else” by how Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new royal role will work going forward.

That’s according to Duncan Larcombe, a royal author and commentator.

“If you ask the Queen this morning what this means and how it will work I think she’ll look just as perplexed as everybody else,” he tells Yahoo UK.

The Duke and Duchess’ decision to step down as senior members of the Royal Family is “very much unprecedented”, says Larcombe.

He added it’s “a hammer blow to the Royal Family”.

READ MORE: How newspapers reacted to Harry and Meghan ‘stepping back’ from Royal Family

On Wednesday night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a statement on Instagram revealing that they would be taking on a “progressive new role” and “step[ping] back as senior members of the Royal Family”.

Buckingham Palace responded with a statement that they “understand” the couple’s decision but “these are complicated issues which will take time to work through”.

The Royal Family is thought to have been unaware the statement was being released.

Larcome claims Prince Harry “remarkably appears to have not even consulted his brother, his father, or the Queen before announcing it.

“It does make you wonder whether or not Harry was worried he might be talked out of it.”

READ MORE: Royal Family 'deeply disappointed' as Prince Harry and Meghan fail to consult them

Royal correspondent Omid Scobie says yesterday’s announcement was “a surprise and shock to the Royal Family.”

However, he tells Yahoo UK that “no member of the royal family should have been surprised” by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step down as senior royals.

He adds: “Everyone was always aware internally that Harry and Meghan were looking for change.”

He adds the shake-up will be a “logistical nightmare” going forward, he claims.

“How that change came around and how it was announced is the part that wasn’t known by members of the Royal Family, that’s where the issue lies now, a lot of people are still coming to terms with the news internally.

“Of course, for everyone there’s a logistical nightmare that comes with this in terms of working out how do they remove themselves from the royal rota, how do they pull back from some of the traditional royal engagements, how exactly do they fund themselves moving forward.”

He adds: “There’s a lot of unanswered questions but Meghan and Harry have made it clear they don’t know the answers to everything yet.

“Yes, the announcement that came out yesterday, and the way that it came out, was a surprise and shock to the Royal Family."