Harry and Meghan have paved the way for a modernised royal family – but they have to cut their ties for good

If it takes an American actor who married a prince to bring reform to an outdated model, so be it. But they can’t have their cake and eat it

When the Queen referred in her Christmas broadcast to a path through 2019 that “may, at times, have felt quite bumpy”, did she have even the slightest inkling of the seismic jolt that was to come? Barely two weeks later, her second grandson and his wife have announced they are off, or rather “stepping back” from their duties as “senior members of the royal family” to make their own way in the world.

The official response from Buckingham Palace was a terse warning equivalent to “steady on”. These are “complicated issues”, it said, “that will take time to work through”. The more visceral response, relayed through the usual channels to the media, was “disappointment”, “dismay”, “hurt”, even “wrath”. The rest of the family was clearly not amused.

Seen from the perspective of the palace, this whole episode is a disaster. From the lavish wedding to the refurbishment of the “cottage” to the 7 January statement by the Duke and Duchess, here is yet more evidence of the dysfunctionality of the House of Windsor. Not only has the already evident breach between Princes William and Harry been thrust into the open, but the Queen’s authority has been flouted. The palace comes across as a leaky and unprofessional outfit.