Written by: Isabelle Hendrich, staff writer
LONDON–On January 18, 2020, Buckingham Palace officially announced that Prince Harry and Princess Markle are stepping back from their royal duties and would no longer be working members of the royal family. This has come as quite a shock to the whole world, as Prince Harry is one of the most loved members of the royal family.
If they remained members of the royal family, they would have served the Queen by attending various events in her name and going to charity proceedings, among other public duties. Despite their recent separation from the royal family, the couple still hopes to continue charity work and serve the people of England.
Although Prince Harry and Princess Markle were never stripped of their title and never renounced it, they will no longer be called His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness. Prince Harry and Princess Markle will still be called Prince and Princess and their last names will remain Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Although this is a unique circumstance, Prince Harry and Princess Markle’s name changes can be compared to when a royal couple gets divorced. For instance, Sarah, Duchess of York, divorced Prince Andrew in 1996. Until Sarah remarries, her name will remain the same, except she will not be called Her Royal Highness, just like Prince Harry and Princess Markle.
The statement in which Buckingham Palace issued on January 18, 2020, also stated that “Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved members of my (the queen’s) family.” So, while the departure may seem confusing and upsetting, the Queen and Royal family seem to be taking it well.
The BuckingHam Palace also reported that “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.” For while it is unusual for one of Britain’s not only popular, but most well like members of the Royal family, it is understandable that Prince Harry and Princess Markle would want to live their own lives.
Prince Harry and Princess Markle’s titles are not the only thing they will lose with the split.
Since they are no longer part of the royal family, they will no longer receive public funding, which means they will lose their salaries and financial support of the Crown.
In Prince Harry’s statement in which he issued on Sunday during a charity dinner, he said, “What I want to make clear is that we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you. Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.”
This means that the couple is now financially independent from the monarchy and will have to support themselves. As quoted from their website, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex take great pride in their work and are committed to continuing their charitable endeavors as well as establishing new ones. In addition, they value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing.”
Although they are independent now, it has been stated that Prince Harry and Princess Markle will receive a private salary from the Duchy of Cornwall by Prince Charles. There has been discussion of Princess Markle also voicing characters for Disney.
On May 6, 2019, their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born, but without a Royal title.
Although Archie is the seventh in line for the British throne and was set to receive the title, “Earl of Dumbarton,” Prince Harry and Princesses Markle decided against this, with their potential leave of the royal family in mind. Wanting him to grow up as a private citizen, the couple decided to simply call him Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
One of the reasons Prince Harry wanted to no longer perform his royal requirements was because of the paparazzi. Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry’s mother, died on August 31, 1997, when he was only 12 years old. She was fleeing the paparazzi. In an interview with ITV, he said, “Every time I see a camera flash, I am reminded of my mother.”
Since the couple’s announcement, it has sparked a lot of attention from the media, who even deemed the split from the Royal family the “Megxit.”
Even before Princess Markle married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, she has been criticized for their relationship. Some believe she is unfit to be a princess because she has been divorced once. People have also discriminated against her because she is biracial.
Wanting a quieter life from the paparazzi and tabloids, Prince Harry and Princess Markle will divide their time between their home in the UK and Canada. The couple is said to be residing Vancouver Island, Canada the same one they spend on their Christmas vacation. The Prince and Princess said they chose this location because they said they wanted a “more peaceful life” for themselves and their son, Archie.
Prince Harry, in reference to the whole nation, concluded his speech on Sunday night by saying, “Together, you have given me an education about living. And this role has taught me more about what is right and just than I could have ever imagined. We are taking a leap of faith – thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step.”
Isabelle Hendrich is a Communications Studies Major and Missions minor at Bryan College. She is on the Cross-Country team. Besides running, Isabelle also likes to read and do crafts. She is also a triplet whose siblings, Benjamin and Savannah, are also attending Bryan College.
