Prince William, Kate step out at reception after Harry, Meghan royal family exit
Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, made their first public appearance Monday since the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal family.
William and Kate hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace on behalf of Queen Elizabeth to mark the U.K.-Africa Investment Summit that took place in London Monday.
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Prince Harry, William's brother, met with world leaders at the summit during the day but was not spotted at the evening reception.
The Duke of Sussex delivered emotional remarks Sunday at a benefit for his charity Sentebale about his and Meghan's future as non-working members of Britain's royal family.
"The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly," said Harry, the sixth in line to the throne. "It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option."
"Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve," added Harry, who married Meghan in 2018. "For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this."
Buckingham Palace announced over the weekend that beginning this spring, Harry and Meghan will no longer be "working members" of the royal family and will no longer use their HRH titles. The couple and their 8-month-old son, Archie, plan to spend the majority of their time living in North America, though they will keep their Frogmore Cottage home in the U.K.
Meghan and Harry, who is losing his military titles, will no longer rely on public funds for their royal duties and will no longer travel overseas on behalf of the queen. They are still members of the royal family and will attend family events like Trooping the Colour when invited by the queen, according to a palace source.
Prince William and Kate have not publicly commented about Harry and Meghan's new roles. William, as heir to the throne, was involved in the family and palace negotiations that led to this weekend's announcement.
With Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal stage, William and Kate are now the youngest and arguably most high-profile working members of the royal family.
They made their first joint appearance of 2020 last week in Bradford, England, where they visited projects "which support and promote community cohesion," according to Kensington Palace.
