Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HARRY HAD NO OPTION
Sussexes told: ‘Agree to this deal and then you can quit’
PRINCE Harry was given no choice but to sign the deal allowing him and Meghan to walk away from The Firm.
The Queen had ordered his decision must not overshadow senior royals’ highprofile engagements this week.
So Harry, 35, had no option but to agree to the terms set out in front of him, banning him and Meghan from using their HRH titles and forcing him to give up his cherished military roles.
Sources close to him say he was “devastated” at the development but felt that if he did not agree, he and wife Meghan, 38, stood to lose even more ground in their bid to leave the royal fold.
A palace source said: “It was made abundantly clear to Harry: agree to this and then you can go. By his own admission it was not under the terms he wanted but he had no other option.
“There was no halfway house, no halfin-half-out arrangement, and this was the only one on the table.
“Meghan and Harry were so desperate to get out they had no choice – and, on the face of it, it looks like they have given up a considerable amount.”
But Johnny Hornby, chairman of Harry’s charity Sentebale, said the change in the prince’s status does not matter to those he helps.
He said: “We don’t need his title, we need his time and his passion and he’s committed to give us that.” Last night it was reported that Buckingham Palace is continuing to review how the Sussexes will be referred to in future. On Saturday, it was said the couple would be called Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But in the past only divorced women in the family have been styled that way – such as Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York. The Palace said it will be confirming in due course how the couple will be styled.
The deal signed by Harry will be reviewed in 12 months to see how it is working for all parties.
Harry was thought to have flown to Canada last night after he was reportedly spotted at Heathrow Airport yesterday afternoon.
Earlier he attended the Uk-africa Investment summit in London, meeting leaders including Boris Johnson, Moroccan prime minister Saadeddine Othmani, Malawi president Peter Mutharika and Mozambique president Filipe Nyusi, But he did not join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the plush reception for African leaders at Buckingham Palace last night.
It was the first time
William had hosted such an event on behalf of the Queen, signifying another major shift as he takes on more responsibilities for the Crown.
Prince Charles has a major visit to Israel this week where he will take on official engagements in the country and travel to Palestinian territories for the first time. He has been invited to speak at the World Holocaust Forum with a select band of world leaders, accepting the honour ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-birkenau.
William and Kate will also attend the UK Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in Westminster next Monday.
The Prince of Wales has agreed to fund the Sussexes for a year as they set out to make their fortune, but it is not known if his support will come from the Duchy of Cornwall or his personal wealth.
Harry spoke on Sunday night of his “great sadness” over the deal he had to sign up to and the commitments he would have to leave behind. In a heartfelt speech at a private dinner, he told of the sacrifices that he was making in pursuit of a more peaceful life – and admitted that the plan he and Meghan had put forward “wasn’t possible”.
He said: “The decision… is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. There really was no other option.”
Pals have told how they fear he will “become even more lost” as he sets up home thousands of miles away from his family in a country he has no ties to. Meghan flew to Canada to be reunited with their eight-month-old son Archie shortly after the couple’s bombshell announcement on January 8 that they would step back.
It left Harry alone to face the backlash from his family for defying the Queen’s advice to wait before going public with their decision.
The Sussexes have agreed to pay back £2.4million of public funds used to renovate their Windsor home Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK base.