Future patrons of Canadian charities?
Meghan’s visits may have tipped her hand
Prince Harry made his last public appearance as a fulltime royal on Thursday, hosting the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw at Buckingham Palace, even as it remains unclear what will become of such patronages held by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The couple’s website states that they intend to continue to support their patronages, the organizations to which they have pledged their name and time, and carry out works for the monarchy “as called upon.” But the couple has also stated their desire to create a “new charitable entity” and achieve “financial independence.” If they are looking to reduce their workload, that reduction must come from somewhere, and many of their public appearances are in support of their 20 patronages.
“We haven’t had someone this close to the throne step back in this type of way,” said St. Francis Xavier University history professor Barry Mackenzie, who studies the monarchy. “I can understand why these groups or organizations are sort of unclear about what’s going forward, because I don’t think anyone outside the palace really has a very good handle on exactly what it’s going to look like.”
The Duke and Duchess could look to take on Canadian patronages. They don’t currently hold any, but the Queen is patron of 18 Canadian organizations; Prince Philip of 41; and Prince Charles 11. Ten more are divided up among other members of the royal family.
“It’s going to be up to the Queen and Harry and Canadian officials to mould this,” Mackenzie said. “Hopefully it’s something that provides a good service to Canada — if that’s what they’re looking for — and provides some satisfaction to Harry and Meghan, obviously, as well.”
Meghan may already have this possibility on her mind as she visited two organizations in Vancouver on Wednesday that help women and girls. The duchess visited the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Justice for Girls, an organization aimed at helping teen girls and young women who live in poverty.
“We were so honoured that she chose to come visit,” said Justice for Girls co-director Zoe Craig-sparrow. An aide reached out to the organization to arrange the hourand-a-half meeting after the Duchess learned about the charity. “She said that she thinks it’s really important to engage with local organizations.”
While they didn’t discuss any future collaborations, Craig-sparrow said the organization would be happy to work with Meghan.
On Wednesday, The Mirror reported that mere hours before the Duke and Duchess announced to the world the intention to reduce their royal duties and spend more time in North America, Meghan visited the National Theatre in London and gave no indication her patronage could be under threat. Meghan received the role from the Queen, patron of the organization for 45 years.
“There is a lot of worry about whether the Duchess will stick around after failing to tell theatre bosses of her intentions,” a senior official told the British tabloid. “She appeals to a cross-section of ages and genders and it was hoped she would be a real force for change in the industry. We hope she doesn’t abandon us.”
Even if the couple doesn’t reduce their number of patronages, they could limit their commitment to them, with fewer public appearances in the United Kingdom.
Even lending the name of a royal to an organization can help boost its profile, but in her statement in support of the couple’s “desire to create a new life,” the Queen omitted the couple’s royal titles, leaving open the possibility that they could lose their status.
At Harry’s last scheduled royal engagement before he and Meghan begin a “period of transition” to their new roles, the prince watched children playing rugby league in the back garden of Buckingham Palace ahead of making the draw for the sport’s World Cup next year.
According to media reports, a reporter asked the prince as he passed by on his way into the palace how the discussions about his future were going, but the prince simply smiled and gave no response.
The British press has reported Harry intends to stay in the U.K. until early next week, while he negotiates his semi-retirement from the royal family. He is then expected to rejoin Meghan and their eight-month-old son Archie on Vancouver Island.