Princess Meghan and Harry and his wife, stripped of their royal role by the Queen, issue tense statement
A year ago, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped down from their current senior royal positions and a year-long review was conducted to help the two and the Queen reassess the situation and determine if they wanted to return to life as active royals. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex built their own life in Montecito, California (open in new tab), and signed up with Netflix (open in new tab) and Spotify (open in new tab) to produce content.
They told the Queen that they had no intention of returning to their current royal family roles, and she undoubtedly took punitive measures.
This morning, Buckingham Palace released a statement revealing that the Queen has stripped the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of all royal patronage and Harry's honorary military title. Harry is a veteran (opens in new tab), having risen to the rank of captain during his 10 years in the military. He was deployed twice to Afghanistan.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty the Queen that they will not return as active members of the royal family.
Following a conversation with the Duke and Duchess, the Queen confirmed that by stepping away from her royal duties, it would not be possible for her to continue with the responsibilities and obligations associated with her official duties. Therefore, the honorary positions and royal patronage held by the Duke and Duchess would be returned to Her Majesty the Queen and redistributed to active members of the royal family.
While everyone is saddened by the decision, the Duke and Duchess remain beloved members of the family.
Meghan and Harry issued their own statement on the news through a spokesperson. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world, as evidenced by their work over the past year, and have continued to support the organizations they have represented, regardless of their official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," the spokesman said.
The Royal Family has specified on its website (open in new tab) which military and charitable organizations Meghan and Harry will no longer be royal patrons. For Harry, these are the Royal Marines, RAF Honington, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving, England Rugby, and Rugby Football League. For Meghan, it is (open in new tab) Commonwealth Universities Association and National Theatre. In addition, the couple will no longer be chairman and vice-chairman of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust.
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