Reaction to royals Harry and Meghan stepping back from senior roles

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will step back from senior roles in Britain’s royal family and spend more time in North America, they have announced.

Here are reactions to the news from Australia, a member of the Commonwealth and constitutional monarchy whose head of state is the British monarch.

Harry, sixth in line to the throne, and Meghan visited Australia in October 2018 on their first overseas tour as a married couple.

“I think it’s good what they’ve done. Personally, I don’t care much for royals and royal family and all the controversy that kind of surrounds the royal family but it’ll be interesting to see how and what they do after they’ve actually done this.

“Kudos to them to actually saying ‘We’re going to do our own thing and be independent’. But I’ll be, I’d be interested to actually see what they do in a year’s time.” 

“They don’t fit into my life to any great extent, I’m afraid. They’re a very privileged couple who, like many other royal families, don’t appear to take their responsibility seriously, but they have a prime minister who doesn’t take his responsibility seriously either.” 

“I think they probably have a limited role as the royals anyway ... and I understand they want to concentrate on their charity and I think that’s probably the best thing they can be doing.

“It’s not like Harry’s going to be next in line to be king of England, so they need something to do and I think this sounds like them taking charge of that, think it will be better for the community.” 

“It’s fine, I think they’re trying to concentrate on their relationship and their marriage ... power to them, they should do that.

“I think their role in the royal family is small, anyway, and I think the royal family is losing a bit of its traction, anyway, so I think, ‘Well look, why not?’ You know, take charge of your own life and live it.”