What prompted Harry and Meghan to escape royal limelight?
DEAL REACHED WITH ROYAL FAMILY AS COUPLE SET TO RELINQUISH TITLES
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will relinquish their HRH titles and pay back public money spent on renovating their home near Windsor Castle, in an agreement that lets them build a life away from intense scrutiny as members of Britain’s royal family.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” Queen Elizabeth II said on Saturday in a statement from Buckingham Palace. “I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.”
The couple agreed to drop his-and-her “royal highness” from their Duke and Duchess of Sussex names because they are no longer working members of the family. They plan to repay taxpayers for renovations made to Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their family home, and give up public financial support. They moved into the house nine months ago, according to the UK Press Association, and the cost of the refurbishment is widely estimated at £2.4 million.
“It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life,” the 93-year-old monarch said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said he believed that the whole of Britain would want to wish the very best to Prince Harry and Meghan after they decided to step back from being working members of the monarchy.
Monarchy in turmoil
The announcement on January 8 that the couple wished to step back from their royal duties and split their time between the UK and North America threw Britain’s monarchy into turmoil and sharpened the national debate about its role in modern-day Britain. The earlier revelations of Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had already created a PR disaster for Buckingham Palace.
Even though Harry has only a remote prospect of becoming king — he’s sixth in line, behind his father, brother, and nephews and niece — there was outrage that, with his actress wife, he wanted to become financially independent and “carve out” a “progressive new role.”
The couple married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Archie was born a year later.