Harry, Meghan on final duty before new life
Marks the end of what has been a rough royal road
PRINCE Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, fulfilled their last royal commitment when they appeared at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday.
It’s the last time they would have been seen at work with the entire royal Windsor clan before they fly off into self-imposed exile in North America.
The service marked the end of a two-month drama that began when the couple announced plans to walk away from their roles as senior members of Britain’s royal family and into a world where they will have to pay their own way.
It’s uncharted territory for the House of Windsor, and it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Less than two years ago, Harry and Meghan were seen as a golden couple who would help extend the royal family’s appeal to a new generation.
Their wedding on May 19, 2018, united a grandson of 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II with the former Meghan Markle, a bi-racial American actress who had starred in the US television series Suits.
It wasn’t long before the married couple were put under pressure. Even before the ceremony, Britain’s tabloid newspapers featured stories about a rift between Meghan and her father.
When Meghan became pregnant, some commentators criticised her for jetting off to New York for a baby shower, a strange American tradition to many in Britain. Others lampooned Meghan’s politically correct pronouncements on the environment and women’s rights. Her supporters saw racism at work.
Harry publicly defended his wife and directed his anger at the intrusive media he has resented all his life because of the paparazzi’s role in chasing his mother, Princess Diana, on the night in 1997 when she died in a Paris car accident.
“For me, and for my wife, of course there’s a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue,” Harry, told ITV News last year.
“I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.”
The prince was also stung by media reports of a split between him and his elder brother, Prince William.
Then, in January, the Sussex couple sparked a royal crisis when they revealed that they intended to step back from their duties.
Harry and Meghan said they intended to become financially independent, and balance their time between the UK and North America, while honouring and serving the queen. Hours later, Buckingham Palace hinted that the “part-time royal” notion had caught some in the royal household by surprise. Discussions with the duke and duchess, it said, were “at an early stage”.
With his ginger hair, closecropped beard and easy manner, Harry had become one of the royal family’s most popular members after shedding the hard-partying image of his youth. The youngest son of Charles and the late Princess Diana, Harry is sixth in line to the throne, after his father, William and William’s three children.
Anguish followed the duelling announcements. Aggrieved taxpayers insisted Harry and Meghan repay the £2.4 million of public money spent to renovate the house in Windsor where they had planned to live. Their social media feeds were flooded with ill-tempered commentary about their decision to abandon Britain.
Finally, the queen stepped in: Harry and Meghan would stop carrying out royal duties, would pay back the renovation costs and would receive no public money. While they would always be part of the royal family, they couldn’t use the word “royal’’ to earn a living.
But other issues remain. How will Harry and Meghan earn a living and who will pay for their security, which has been financed by UK taxpayers?
The couple are expected to earn their keep at least partly through speaking engagements.
Many royal watchers are more interested in what caused the seismic shift in the British monarchy. Some blame Meghan.
The Los Angeles native graduated from Northwestern University and carved out a career in movies and television before she met Harry. The couple’s first child, Archie, was born in May last year.
Harry and Meghan’s agreement with the queen calls for their decision to be revisited in a year.
Harry alluded to his bond with the British military during a speech supporting the Endeavour Fund, which helps wounded service personnel use sports to recover from their injuries. “A lot of you have told me you have my back,” he said in a veiled reference to his royal struggles.
“Well, I’m also here to tell you, I’ve always got yours.”