Honorary nominations and patrons would be redistributed among the rest of royalty.
London:
Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan have definitely left royal duties, Buckingham Palace said on Friday, just over a year after they had shaken the British monarchy by announcing plans to “step back” from their roles.
Queen Elizabeth II ordered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are formally known, to waive their honorary and patron titles after confirmation that they would not return as royalty.
The couple moved to the United States last year, in a move dubbed “Megxit” by the British press, and have since embarked on several commercial ventures there, including lucrative deals with streaming platforms Netflix and Spotify.
At an emergency summit in January 2020 with the queen, Harry’s father, Prince Charles and brother Prince William, Harry agreed that they would stop using their “Royal Highness” titles and the “Sussex Royal” brand. .
But the older members of the family promised to review the situation a year later – with the change now becoming permanent, days after Harry and Meghan announced on Valentine’s Day that they are expecting their second child.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed Her Majesty, the Queen, that they will not return as active members of the Royal Family,” announced Buckingham Palace.
“The Queen wrote confirming that, by departing from the work of the Royal Family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties inherent in a life of public service.”
He noted that his honorary nominations and sponsorships would be redistributed among working royalty.
– ‘The service is universal’ –
However, it appears that the duo will retain their official titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Harry remains sixth in line to the throne, with no change in the line of succession.
“While everyone is saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain very dear members of the family,” added the palace statement.
The decision means that Harry, 36, who served as a soldier in Afghanistan and is passionate about the veterans’ welfare, must forgo several honorary military titles related to the Royal Navy, Air Force and Navy.
Earlier this month, he formally settled a defamation suit against the editor of The Mail On Sunday and the MailOnline website over reports that he had despised soldiers since he left real life.
A spokesman for the couple said on Friday that they had shown that “they remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world”.
The statement noted that they offered their continued support to the organizations they played “regardless of their official role”.
“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal,” he added.
– ‘Intimate’ interview –
The couple’s move to the United States came after reports that Meghan was deeply unhappy with life within the century-old royal institution and the couple’s growing complaints about the media invasion.
But his sudden nature shook the monarchy and allegedly caused acrimony with Harry’s brother, William, who is second in line to the throne.
Harry and Meghan have started several lawsuits against UK news outlets alleging an invasion of privacy, with a lawsuit ending this month with a victory against associated newspapers.
The couple is about to give an “intimate” interview about their lives with US chat host Oprah Winfrey.
– ‘Defended our work’ –
In addition to his military titles, Harry also held positions in the Commonwealth and some other sponsorships, including the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Rugby Football League.
“RFU highly valued its contribution to promoting and supporting the game,” said the organization on Twitter.
Harry will remain a patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, the organization for military veterans with confirmed disabilities.
Meanwhile, Meghan also received honorary roles after marrying Harry in a fairytale ceremony at Windsor Castle in May 2018, including becoming a patron of the National Theater.
The acclaimed theater group also thanked the support offered during their shorter-than-expected term and said the process of nominating a new patron had begun.
Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, said losing the bonds would be a blow to the couple.
“This will upset Harry, obviously, particularly the military (losses),” she told the network.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by the NDTV team and is published from a syndicated feed.)