Farewell to the Fab Four: Harry and Meghan formally SPLIT from joint charity with Kate and William - less than 18 months after the two couples appeared together for the first time to set it up
- Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to break away from the Royal Foundation
- Move is seen as the final step in the division of the couples' public duties
- William and Kate will remain with original charity which will be renamed
- It follows claims over the past year of a rift between wives and brothers
- 'Fab Four' appeared at claimed 'annual' forum in London in February 2018
Prince Harry and Meghan will formally split from their joint charity with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and set up their own foundation, it was revealed today.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to break away from the Royal Foundation in what is seen as the final step in the division of the couples' public duties.
It follows claims over the past year of a rift, first between Kate and Meghan, and then between future king Prince William and his younger brother, Harry.
Royal sources denied the changes were linked to these claims - saying it was 'largely about preparing both couples for their future roles which are obviously on divergent tracks' - but many will see it as part of the ongoing distance between the couples.
William, Kate, Harry and Meghan's joint Royal Foundation venture was intended to harness the star power of the four high-profile royals, but it lasted just 16 months.
(From left) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge take part in the first Royal Foundation Forum in London on February 28 last year
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at a flypast to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018
After their first appearance as a foursome at the first Royal Foundation forum in London in February 2018, they were dubbed the Fab Four. However, although the inaugural event was billed as an annual affair, just the single engagement took place.
There is speculation Meghan and Harry could be looking to work overseas possibly in the duchess' homeland of America, and Africa, a continent Harry is passionate about where his Sentebale charity is based.
A source said the couple's future charitable projects, like those of William and Kate, are likely to have a 'global outreach'.
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William and Kate will remain with the original charity, which will be renamed the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Sources said part of the move was to do with the four royals becoming two established couples with families, and also inspired by the division into two separate working households.
The change is aimed at setting the couples on 'a path that is sustainable for the future', they said. William is a future monarch and Kate a future Queen consort, while Harry is only sixth in line to throne.
Their appearance at the London offices of insurer in February 2018 for the Royal Foundation event was the first time the 'Fab Four' carried out an engagement together
They were dubbed the Fab Four after taking to the stage together at the first - and so far only - Royal Foundation forum in February 2018. The inaugural event was billed as an annual affair
The 'Fab Four' appeared in February 2018 to promote 'the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex'.
But the two households have split since then, with Harry and Meghan leaving Kensington Palace for Frogmore Cottage in Windsor and appointing their own staff.
The Foundation said the move followed a structural review, and both couples will continue to work together including on the Heads Together mental health strategy.
The Foundation, which had an income of £7.83million last year, on top of £9million in 2017, added that the decision was made to 'better align' their charitable activities.
Harry and Meghan have already split from the Cambridges' Kensington Palace household, setting up their own at Buckingham Palace in the spring, with a separate head of communications and SussexRoyal Instagram account.
The SussexRoyalInstagram account has 8.7million followers - just behind the KensingtonRoyal account for William and Kate which has 9.3million followers.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on Tuesday
William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan were stood far apart for Trooping the Colour on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 8
Royal aides previously said that the foursome were to remain joint patrons of the Royal Foundation.
The duke and duchess, who have recently welcomed baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, also moved from London's Kensington Palace - home to William and Kate and their children - to live at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son Archie at Windsor Castle on May 8
Today's announcement followed William and Harry's meeting with trustees of the Royal Foundation at Kensington Palace yesterday to finalise the arrangements.
During the Q&A in February 2018, they were quizzed on whether there were disagreements, with William replying 'Oh yes'.
Harry also said that 'healthy disagreements' adding he couldn't remember if they'd all been resolved as they 'come so thick and fast'.
Harry said he and Meghan were 'really looking forward to working as a pair and as a four going forward and hoping to make as much of a difference where we can'.
Meghan said: 'Thank goodness (there are) such differing personalities and everyone's very communicative because that's how you can really see bigger change.'
The Royal Foundation was set up by William and Harry in 2009 to run all their charitable campaigns and ventures, and joined by Kate when she became Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
Prince Harry attends an event in Nottingham backed by the Royal Foundation in February 2017
William, Harry, Meghan and Kate attend a service at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018
Meghan joined in May 2018 after becoming an HRH, with the charity's title later officially changing to The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The Foundation focuses on issues such as helping young people, wildlife conservation, cyberbullying and supporting the military.
In 2017, the princes were widely praised for leading a campaign to tackle the stigma of mental health illness and speaking out about how they had personally suffered following the death of their mother Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997.
The body has set up successful charity campaigns including Heads Together, the Endeavour Fund and projects with the Invictus Games for wounded or disabled veterans.
The split is likely to lead to claims the two charitable organisations will be rivals with the foundations vying for publicity and funds in areas like wildlife conservation or support for military veterans.
But a royal source said: 'The starting point is the fact the Royal Foundation is going to be helping establish and build the new foundation for the Sussexes, and that will include transitional support, staff time and such like in order to establish it and I would anticipate the two organisations will have an incredibly close relationship going forward.'
Harry and Meghan have left Kensington Palace for Frogmore Cottage in Windsor (pictured)
They said the decision was taken by all four of the royals and the trustees. A small number of posts at the Foundation are at risk of redundancy.
In January 2018, William called on charities to combine forces, rather than establishing more individual organisations.
In a keynote speech to the Charity Commission, he said at the time: 'Instead of setting up more individual charities working in the same fields, I wonder if we could do more to explore ways of combining forces, working and innovating together?'
The duke added: 'Competition for funds between an ever-growing number of charities, and the confusion it can cause among donors, can lead to the silo-ing of expertise and, at worst, territorial behaviour.'
William said a big change was needed, adding: 'The sector must be open to collaborate, to share expertise and resources; to focus less on individual interests and more on the benefits that working together will bring.'
