Harry And Meghan Give Up Royal Title

The “hard Megxit” announced by Queen Elizabeth II, greeted on Sunday by the British tabloids, forces Prince Harry and his wife Meghan to renounce their title of Royal Highness as with some of their income and leads the family royal to strengthen its ties around a small core.

In an unusual statement that ended ten days of the crisis, the Queen said on Saturday that “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their title of Royal Highness since they are no longer active members of the Royal family “.

Despite this announcement, Elizabeth II appeared smiling on Sunday, alongside her second son Prince Andrew, in a church in Norfolk (east of England) where she attended the church service. This is his first public appearance since the shock announcement on January 8 of Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, who wished to gain independence and settle in North America with their son Archie.

“Hard Megxit”

Now released from their “royal obligations”, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can no longer “formally represent the Queen”. The tabloids, who accused them of “wanting their cake and eat it too” while still keeping a foothold in the royal family, an unprecedented status, unanimously welcomed this decision.

It is an “undeniably radical agreement,” the Daily Telegraph said. The Sunday Mirror welcomed on the front page that “the queen orders a hard Megxit”, with reference to the Brexit scheduled for January 31.

The couple’s stormy relationship with British newspapers weighed in their decision to withdraw. Accused of racism towards the Métis American actress, the sensation press regularly attacked Meghan with vitriolic articles, decking her out with the nickname of “capricious duchess”.

For the protocol expert of the royal family Alastair Bruce, questioned by the Sun, the abandonment of the title of royal highness amounts to “an abdication”. He notes that Harry finds himself demoted to the same rank as thirty other British dukes.

If the couple retains his title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, he, however, renounces his royal allowance and will have to reimburse certain public expenses from which he benefited, in particular, the 2 million pounds (2.3 million euros) used to renovate the Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, his place of residence in the United Kingdom.

“This is absolutely unprecedented,” said former royal press secretary Sun Dickie Arbiter, noting that “no member of the royal family has ever repaid the money,” even those who before Harry, had already been deprived of their royal highness status.

Core members

Before the young prince, sixth in the order of succession to the British throne, his mother Lady Diana had indeed also lost this status after having divorced Prince Charles in 1996. Just like Sarah Ferguson, when she separated from Prince Andrew.

But these were “honorary titles” obtained through marriage. It is, however, the very first time that a member of the Windsor family by birth has been deprived of this status.

While many commentators draw a parallel with the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, who by marrying a divorced American had renounced the throne, the latter had in fact not lost his title, seeing himself simply demoted from “His Majesty the King “to” His Royal Majesty the Duke of Windsor “.

The decision of Queen Elizabeth II thus marks a turning point in the history of one of the oldest British institutions, opening an era of new functioning tightened around its nuclear members.

Prince Charles, who is preparing to take over from his 93-year-old mother, had already expressed his desire to “bring (the family) to a core of senior members who work full time,” says Penny Junor, author of numerous books on the monarchy.

At the end of 2019, the scandal over Prince Andrew’s relations with the American financier Jeffrey Epstein accused of trafficking minors had forced him to withdraw and pave the way. By withdrawing from Harry and Meghan their status, the queen has just put in a first relay.

Many royal experts now expect a decline in the lifestyle for the family, many of whose members have a rank worth remuneration.

From an emotional point of view, “Harry, Meghan and Archie will remain very dear members of my family”, however, underlined Elisabeth II. The Queen’s “warm” message shows “a grandmother’s affection for her grandson,” said Alastair Bruce, but “at the same time, she dealt with an iron fist typical of monarchical authority.” this problem that needed to be resolved. ”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, when interviewed by Sky News, was confident in the ability of “the royal family to find a way to move forward,” wishing Sussex “all the best for their future.”

Palace decisions are to take effect in the spring.