Social media divided over Camilla throwing 'shade' when asked about Harry, Meghan

The Duchess of Cornwall's response to whether she will miss Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has sent social media into a whirlwind.

It has been a rollercoaster two weeks of royal drama, with Harry and Meghan stepping back from their roles as senior royals, the Queen allowing the pair to live part-time in Canada, and the couple no longer permitted to call themselves Royal Highnesses in public.

Meghan fled the United Kingdom only days after the pair announced they wanted to become financially independent, joining her son Archie in Canada. Harry is understood to be joining them in Vancouver on Wednesday.

While visiting Prospect Hospice in the south-west of England on Tuesday for the facility's 40th anniversary, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, broke her silence on the royal renegades.

Asked on Tuesday whether she will "miss Harry and Meghan", Camilla gave a soft smile, made a quiet "hmmm" and then said "course".

That not-so-heartfelt response from the woman who married Harry's father Prince Charles in 2005 following his divorce with Prince Diana, who died in 1997, has caused a stir online. 

"The burn," said one person. 

"That's some shade right there lmao! Love it!" another said. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! First she smirks, says "Course," then smirks again. Camilla is very good at shade," added a third. 

"Under her breath she says "NOT" when she gets out of the car.  But of course she was dignified, I would have expected nothing less from her."

But many others came to the Duchess' defence, saying that she gave a polite response that wouldn't take attention away from her engagement at the hospice. 

"She probably did not expect such a question and was polite. Sometimes don't need much to say," said one Twitter user.

"Reading too much into it. She was probably taken off guard by the question."

"I don't think she was shading Harry & old Sparkles. I think she was letting the guy asking the question understand what a stupid question it was."

On Monday, Prince Harry spoke publicly about the testing time for him and his wife. He said they had no other option than to step back from the family, criticising the media for intruding into their lives. 

"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military association, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible," Harry said. 

"I hope that helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step my family back from all that I had ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life." 

As a part of the new arrangement, Harry will step back from his military appointments - including titles he inherited from his grandfather Philip when he retired - and no longer get any money for public duties. They'll keep their private patronages and associations, and have sworn that "that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty".