The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to leave royal life as they formally drop their roles as senior royals on 31 March, and have been carrying out a round of final engagements on what has been dubbed their 'farewell tour'. Harry and Meghan have not only taken the opportunity to spend time with their family, but they've also been saying goodbye to their UK staff.
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HELLO! can confirm that the Duke and Duchess hosted a leaving lunch for their team at The Goring on Thursday, a report that first appeared in Page Six. The couple were pictured leaving the five-star Belgravia hotel – where the Duchess of Cambridge stayed the night before her royal wedding in 2011. Donning a chic, camel-coloured Alex Eagle coat and pearl-studded black heels by Aquazzura, Meghan looked radiant as she stepped out into the rain with husband Harry. It was her first public appearance since the couple had announced they would be leaving royal life.
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The Sussexes, whose baby son Archie has remained at home in Canada, then headed to the annual Endeavour Fund Awards, an event celebrating the achievements of wounded, sick and injured servicemen and women who have taken part in sporting and adventure challenges.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple attending the Commonwealth Day service
Last month it was revealed that Harry and Meghan were closing their Buckingham Palace office, resulting in job losses for up to 15 members of staff. With their new life in Canada mapped out, the royals have no need for some of their team's services such as a private secretary.
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The team were reportedly notified about the office closure in January, and while some were offered a new role within the royal family, there were other redundancies. HELLO! understands that one of the longest-serving members of the team, Marnie Gaffney, was asked to stay on in another role at the palace, but chose to move on after a decade of service with the royal family.
Harry and Meghan's final round of engagements has seen the couple attend the Commonwealth Day service with other members of the royal family, attend the aforementioned Endeavour Fund Awards, attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music while also carry out some private engagements over the past week.
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