So far 2020 has been a year of big changes for Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Earlier this month the royal couple announced their plans to step back as senior members of the royal family. Initially, the plan was for the couples to retain their royal tiles and raise their “son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born” while also give themselves the space to work and live in North America. Sometimes young parents have to make tough choices to do what’s best for their new family and that can mean making changes that impact your family of origin.

On Sunday, during a speech at a charity event for Sentebale (an organization Prince Harry co-founded to get support children living with HIV in Southern Africa), the Duke of Sussex explained that stepping back from being a senior royal wasn’t easy but had to be done.

“The UK is my home and a place that I love,” he explained. “That will never change…The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly,” he said. “It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”

This follows the Queen’s announcement earlier this weekend. She stated that her family has found a way for Harry and Meghan to move forward, and it means they’re not only not senior royals anymore, they do not have HRH titles (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness) anymore and “are no longer working members of the Royal Family.”

The statement from the Queen reads, in part: “Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.

“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.

“I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.

“I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.

“It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”

The Queen’s statement explains that Harry and Meghan have “shared their wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home.”

Basically, they’re serious about being financially independent and they’re going to pay rent on the cottage.

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Untangling family issues can be hard, and it is difficult for anyone to imagine what it must be like to live this out on the world’s stage. In her statement, the Queen said she understands the role the intense press scrutiny has played in the couple’s decision to forge a new path, and that they will always be her family.

Whether you’re leaving the royal family to move to Canada, or just trying to explain to your parents that your own family needs to move to another state, the challenges are real.

Here’s to a new chapter for Harry and Meghan and all the other new parents writing their own stories.

[This post was originally published January 18, 2020. It has been updated.]