The Royal Foundation - the charitable group run jointly by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex - is to officially divide.
Later this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will establish their own new charitable foundation while Prince William and Kate Middleton continue to use the Royal Foundation as their 'principal charitable and philanthropic vehicle'.
In a press release, Kensington Palace said the decision for the two couples to operate separately when it comes to their charity work has been 'designed to best complement the work and responsibilities of Their Royal Highnesses as they prepare for their future roles and to better align their charitable activity with their new households'.
The Royal Foundation was initially set up by Kate, William and Harry to spearhead their charity interests such as the mental health initiative they founded, Heads Together. After Harry and Meghan became engaged, the Duchess of Sussex was brought onto the team too.
Appearing at the Royal Foundation Forum together in 2018 for the first time, the group were dubbed by the press as the 'fab four'.
Ahead of the announcement, royal correspondents speculated on social media as to whether the division of the charitable arm of their work was an inevitability given the split of their two households earlier this year.
'It will be seen as another very public sign of the divergence of their official duties - and private lives,' correspondent Rebecca English noted on Twitter, adding that sources have denied the split is due to an alleged 'rift'.
The palace said both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex are very proud of what they've achieved together through the foundation including establishing The Invictus Games and Shout, the text-base crisis line for people experiencing mental health issues.
'They [the couples] are especially proud to have established a charity that has had, and will continue to have, significant long-lasting impact, changing lives for the better,' the statement said.
Despite the split, Kate, Meghan, William and Harry will continue to work together on some charity projects, the palace said, including Heads Together.
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Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
