Harry and Meghan: The hurdles ahead for the semi-royal couple

The announcement by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that they intend to step down as senior royals took many people, including the Queen, by surprise.

But amid the controversy and criticism, their departure leaves the couple, as well as the royal household, aides, staff and other family members, with a raft of unanswered questions.

The Queen has now said that the family must find a solution that works for everyone as quick as possible, reportedly within days rather than weeks, and has ordered staff to work “at pace” to make it happen.

Focus will now shift to answering the difficult questions, to ensure the survival of the Royal Family, and the semi-independence of the Sussexes.

Sky News has taken a look at some of the hurdles facing the royals ahead of the imminent semi-departure of Harry and Meghan.

How will they make money?

In their bombshell statement, Harry and Meghan said they would become “financially independent” but have not offered any more information on how they plan to do that.

The Prince of Wales currently pays for their official duties and some of their private costs through his £21m Duchy of Cornwall income. Last year, the Sussexes – along with the Cambridges – received just over £5m.

However, it is not known exactly how much of this they will leave behind when they stop their duties, and how much the taxpayer will continue to foot.

Harry and Meghan have trademarked a new logo, and already have an Instagram account followed by millions – leading to suggestions that they could use their brand for income.

The duchess is also an established actress, and is thought to have a value of around £3m as a result of that. She also ran a hugely successful fashion blog before her wedding with the duke.

Prince Harry, although having previously served in the army, has no previous private sector employment experience, so it is not clear what his new ventures would be – but could branch into the media, speaking or writing.

Other members of the Royal Family will be keeping a close eye on what the pair do, however, because although they are stepping down from senior duties, they are not renouncing their titles or completely leaving the firm, so their work will have to be considerate of the wider family’s reputation.

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Who will pay for them to stay safe?

At the moment the couple, as with all major royals, have security costs paid for the taxpayer via the Home Office – but by stepping down as senior members of the family, should they still be afforded that privilege?

The couple’s website suggests that their taxpayer funded security will continue, but questions remain over the level of safety they will be given.

Royal Family members and staff will now have to decide if Harry and Meghan’s UK home should be protected when it’s empty, and how their life in North America will be made safe.

Where will they live?

At the moment, Harry and Meghan use Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of the Windsor estate, as their home when they are in the UK – and in their announcement they said they will continue to live there.

But the Queen, who initially gave them permission to live there, could in theory reverse her decision if she wanted to – although the suggestion is that she will not do that.

Last year, the taxpayer footed the bill for the £2.4m refurbishment of the property.

They intend to split their time between the UK and North America – but questions remain over where in the US or Canada they will settle down.

Harry, Meghan and Archie spent Christmas in Canada, so they could be planning a move there, but they may instead opt for Los Angeles to be closer to Meghan’s mother.

However, the presumption is that Harry and Meghan will have to pay for their own living arrangements in North America.

What, if any, royal work will they do?

Only the couple know that. They have said they will continue to “honour [their] duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth and… patronages,” but it is not known if they will continue to go on royal tours or carry out major duties.

The Queen will have to decide whether or not to continue to use the duke and duchess to carry out future events.

Other questions needing answers over the next few days, weeks and months include their citizenship and eligibility to work in the countries they will live in, who will foot the bill for their travel between the UK and North America and just how much will they divide their time between royal work, patronage work and private work?

(c) Sky News 2020: Harry and Meghan: The hurdles ahead for the semi-royal couple