Royal settlement

Queen puts the monarchy first

IN PUBLIC, the Queen’s support for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and their decision to relocate to Canada, has been unstinting. In private, Her Majesty has acted to protect the integrity of the monarchy.

For, while questions of protocol do remain, Her Majesty has effectively laid down the law and told her grandson, and his wife, that they cannot be parttime members of the Royal Family on their terms.

And while Buckingham Palace statement says the couple will no longer be able to use their formal ‘HRH’ titles, or undertake commercial ventures which betray the values of the Queen as their public funding is ceased, this appears to be totally at odds with their new online branding as ‘Sussex Royal’.

How this so-called Royal settlement is enforced remains to be seen – there’s every likelihood that scrutiny of the Sussexes in North America is even more intense than here in Britain where they were respected, and valued, senior members of the Royal Family.

But the Queen – and courtiers – do deserve credit for acting swiftly. The fate of the Sussexes had become a distraction from official duties like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s landmark visit to Bradford last week that was such a triumph for the city and community relations.

And coming so soon after the Duke of York, the Queen’s second son, was effectively relieved of his public duties because of growing embarrassment over lurid claims about his links with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Her Majesty is sending out a strong signal that she will not allow the monarchy’s reputation to become diminished in any way.