Think of this as the Royal equivalent of "you can't fire me, I quit!"

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry first stepped down from their roles as senior members of the royal family, there was much debate over whether the couple should be stripped of their royal titles.

But now, it looks as though the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to put a stop to the controversy by dropping the titles on their own!

Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of 2020 will be revealed during an hour-long ABC special next week.

The fact that the list is being unveiled in prime time on network TV probably has more to do with the quarantine content drought than any real public interest in the names on the list, but we digress.

The reason we mention this is that the promos for the special refer to Harry and Meghan simply as "Harry and Meghan."

Now, that might not seem like a very big deal, but you have to understand how seriously the Brits take their royal titles.

Prior to this week, it would have been considered a major sign of disrespect to refer to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as anything other than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Going public as simply "Harry and Meghan" represents a major step toward independence for the couple.

And it could have something to do with their latest rift involving the royal family.

Meghan and Harry signed $100 million deal with Netflix recently, and while the nature of the collaboration remains unknown, it's already got the royals up in arms.

The reason is that the Netflix is home to the acclaimed scripted series The Crown, which takes an in-depth look at the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The show provides a warts-and-all portrayal of the royal family, delving into such uncomfortable topics as the marital infidelities of the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, and the Nazi sympathies of her uncle, King Edward VIII.

Conversation about the series is said to be forbidden in Buckingham Palace, and no member of the family has remarked on it publicly.

Insiders say Prince William in particular is livid about Harry's latest business deal, and sources claim the brothers are no longer on speaking terms. 

Is it mere coincidence that Harry and Meghan decided to ditch one of their last clear ties to the royals just as their long-simmering feud began to bubble over again?

Perhaps, but it's not hard to see why so many have jumped to the conclusion that the two developments are connected.

Of course, it's possible that this is just a temporary arrangement.

Maybe Harry and Meghan decided to go for a more casual tone for the ABC appearance, and they'll be back to using their formal titles in no time.

But it's equally possible that this was a deliberate and permanent move intended to send a clear message to Harry's family that they're no longer in control of the former Duke and Duchess.