Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they were stepping back from their roles as senior royals in January 2020, explaining on Instagram that they hoped to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
“What it seems to me what they’re planning to do is give themselves more freedom, more flexibility, outside of what is certainly known as ‘the firm’ within royal circles,” says British royals commentator Eloise Parker, referring to the Royal Family. “They’re saying, ‘OK, we’re not quitting, but we want to do our own thing too.’”
Under the terms brokered by the palace, the couple had to step back from their royal duties, including military appointments and would no longer represent the Queen. The arrangement — which would go into effect in the spring — also saw them drop the titles His and Her Royal Highness and they would no longer receive funds for royal duties.
“It brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly,” Harry said shortly after the announcement while speaking at a charity event in London. “It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always got it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”
He added, “What I want to make clear is 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.”
Hints of unhappiness in court documents: Meghan disclosed in court documents from her successful invasion of privacy case that she felt “unprotected” by the monarchy during her first pregnancy, in the face of “a large number of false and damaging articles.”
The legal documents were the first time Meghan had publicly indicated her unhappiness at the support Palace staff were providing to her. More specifically it disclosed a hint of her frustration at the royal protocol not to respond to speculative media reports.
Move to Los Angeles: As the end of the one-year transition period drew closer, friction reignited between the Sussexes now based in Los Angeles and the royals back home in the United Kingdom.
It was announced that Harry and Meghan had agreed with the Queen that they would not be returning as working members of the family. As a result, their honorary military appointments and royal patronages were revoked and would be redistributed.
Jemma Lucy ( Editor Newspresslive)
