First comes love … then comes marriage … then comes baby … and then comes stepping back from royal duties? All kidding aside, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially announced on their website and Instagram last week that “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. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family … ” What’s more? They’ll be splitting their time in the United Kingdom and North America.

Shocking? Perhaps, but royal experts point to the continued harassment of the Duchess of Sussex both online and from some media outlets as a major reason for their decision. After their announcement, Buckingham Palace responded with a short statement to say that what’s happening is complicated and that the “discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.”

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement, the senior members of the royal family have met and the Queen has given the couple her blessing to live in both the United Kingdom and Canada.

What will happen next? Well, there’s still a lot to figure out. Who will pay for the Duke and Duchess’ security in Canada? What does stepping back mean for the monarchy? Complicated? We’d say it’s royally so!