Buckingham Palace may have been taken “by surprise” by the recent announcements by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as members of the independent royalty.
On February 15, CBS announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in a special entitled “Oprah with Meghan and Harry: a prime time CBS special”. The interview will air on Sunday, March 7. It will also be the couple’s first meeting since their engagement.
Then, on February 19, Buckingham Palace confirmed that they would not return to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. Soon after, a spokesman for the pair reacted to suggestions that they were not devoted to duty by issuing their own statement.
“As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duties and services to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented, regardless of their official role. “said the spokesman in a statement. “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
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It was previously announced that Prince Harry will partner with Oprah Winfrey to create a series of documentaries on mental health for Apple’s streaming service.
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Royal author and Vanity Fair correspondent Katie Nicholl recently appeared on True Royalty TV’s “The Royal Beat” and described how the palace did not expect the couple to back down on their statement or announce a meeting on television.
During his appearance, Nicholl pointed out that it was originally reported that Buckingham Palace should make a decision on Markle and Harry’s actual status on March 31. However, their decision came much earlier than expected.
“You know, the moment was interesting,” she explained. “It came right after the Oprah announcement. I think the palace was taken aback by … the Oprah announcement. It was clear that the Sussex were working as a machine on their own. They were not working with the palace. They had their own team and had made up their mind. “
“They didn’t need until March 31 to make that announcement,” continued Nicholl. “From what I understand from the sources I spoke to, the palace was like, ‘Well, why not make the announcement sooner? Let’s tie up these loose ends. Let’s end all of this speculation if that’s their decision and they did it.’
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are currently residing in California with their firstborn Archie. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their second child.
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Nicholl said the palace already knew that Markle and Harry are expecting their second child. This announcement was made to the public on Valentine’s Day – the day before the interview was revealed. However, she claimed that the palace had no idea about the meeting with Winfrey, 67.
She also said that the Sussex were compelled to respond after the palace released their statement to unmask any misconceptions that they did not want to live a life of service.
“I think the point that really got to the Sussex was that suggestion – that they would not be able to continue in the public service,” she explained. “Now, when they moved to America and established this foundation and pledged to dedicate their new lives to philanthropy, although on their terms – that’s what got them. And that infuriated them. And that’s why that statement was sent out. deliberately without that preface … And I don’t know about you, but that statement looks like it came straight from the couple. “
When Harry and Markle moved away from real life full-time in March 2020, unhappy with the media scrutiny and the restrictions on their roles, it was agreed that the situation would be reviewed after a year.
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From left to right: Duchess Kate, Prince William, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry. In early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would step back as a senior member of the British royal family.
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Now they are, and the palace said in a statement that the couple verified that “they will not return as working members of the royal family”.
It said that Queen Elizabeth II had spoken with Harry, aged 36, and confirmed: “that by departing from the work of the Royal Family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that accompany a life of public service.”
The palace said that the appointment of Harry as captain-general of the Royal Marines and the titles of other military groups would revert to the queen before being distributed to other members of the family.
Harry served in the British army for a decade, including on the Afghan frontline, and maintains a close relationship with the military. He founded the Invictus Games competition for wounded soldiers, which was held for the first time in 2014 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were originally married in 2018.
(AP)
The Invictus Games Foundation has said that Harry will remain his patron. But he is renouncing the patron positions of the Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League and the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
Meghan, 39, will be stripped of her role as patron of Britain’s National Theater and the Commonwealth Association of Universities.
“While everyone is saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain very dear members of the family,” said the palace statement.
Markle, a former star of the TV legal drama “Suits”, married the queen’s grandson, Harry, at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Her son Archie was born a year later.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry expressed their desire to be financially independent and live a life of service.
(AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
In early 2020, Markle and Harry announced that they were leaving the royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said was the British media’s unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes towards the Duchess, who identifies herself like biracial.
The couple agreed to no longer use the title “royal highness” or to receive public funds for their work, although it was not clear at the time whether these decisions would be upheld.
They retain their titles as duke and duchess, and Harry is still sixth in line to the British throne. Harry and Meghan now live in Santa Barbara, California.
‘The Royal Beat’ is currently available for streaming on True Royalty TV. The Associated Press contributed to this report.