US tourists outside Britain's royal residences on Thursday were quick to welcome Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan's decision to withdraw from royal front-line duties -- but locals were less impressed.
"I think it is going to turn a lot of people off them and upsetting the family -- it seems a bit unnecessary," British operations manager Paul Brown told AFP outside a gloomy Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II's London home.
"For the sake of a week or two and a few conversations, preparing the ground, a lot of this might have been avoided," he added.
"If they want to leave the royal duties then fine, that's up to them. But they can't have their cake and eat it."