PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping back from their royal duties — why the big deal?

On Wednesday, Harry and Meghan released a statement saying as senior royals they would ‘work to become financially independent’.

There is more being made about this than Prince Andrew trying to defend hanging around with a convicted paedophile.

I would think most people would be happy enough for the couple to do what they wanted.

I thought that is what we are all taught to do. Do what makes one happy.

A few things have come to surface since the announcement.

Firstly, we have had this predictable panic with people pointing out that they can’t leave the ‘family’.

This isn’t some Mafia set up is it? I thought people were free to do what they wanted. You would think people would be happy that they are likely to be spending less of our money and raising their own.

Secondly, there has been the again familiar blame for this whole situation being laid at the door of the relatively new daughter-in-law.

The Royals have always behaved very much like an Indian-Pakistani family — you know where the son can do no wrong and we blame the daughter-in-law for leading him down the wrong path.

This idea that Harry is in some way ‘whipped’ into doing the bidding of his wife is also a bit offensive, wouldn’t you say?

Thirdly, it is pretty obvious that Meghan was being treated differently in sections of our racist press because she was seen as a foreigner. And no, I did not put racist press in quote marks.

So why would anyone want to continue in an arrangement where she is obliged to work in such an environment? I am pretty surprised that they didn’t make this decision earlier. We are living in 2020 and the Royal set up is still way past its sell by date.

And finally, we have to admit that, after the Queen, Meghan and Harry are the most bankable brand the Royal family has had for a long time.

And once you lose that brand then you are going to panic a little.

There is a whole generation who couldn’t connect with the Royal family until Harry and Meghan came along, so when they aren’t there to carry the team then you have to find yourself new star strikers.

So, in summary, good luck to them and we should wish them well.

This isn’t some Mafia tale and the daughter-in-law is not to blame for the mess just because she was from the wrong background.