London’s Madame Tussaud’s wax museum has removed the statues of Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle from its British royal family display, after the couple announced that they will be stepping back from royal duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan announced on Wednesday that they are planning “to step back” as senior members of the royal family, a stunning revelation that underscores the wish of the couple to forge a new path for the royals in the modern world, Associated Press reported.
“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,” the couple said in their statement.
Reacting to the announcement, Madame Tussauds decided to make the change in their display.
Madame Tussauds said the two figures will go in a separate section, away from the display of the royal family, which includes Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Prince William and his wife, Kate. The museum, in a tweet, suggested that the figures would be more appropriate in the World Stage.
“Alongside the rest of the world, we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior Royals,” general manager Steve Davies told Reuters.
“As two of our most popular and well-loved figures, they will of course remain an important feature at Madame Tussauds London as we watch to see what the next chapter holds for them,” he added in a statement.
According to CNN, the statues at the Madame Tussaud’s in New York will also be moved to a separate area, in response to the announcement by the royal couple.
The royal couple intend to become financially independent, shunning public support, to underpin their work on charities. A statement released by Buckingham Palace said they intend to “balance” their time between the UK and North America, where the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex grew up.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple said in a statement, according to Associated Press.
(With inputs from Reuters, Associated Press and CNN.)
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