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| A royal goodbye: Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will give up their official titles (AFP Photo/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS) |
London (AFP) - Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have agreed to give up their royal titles and stop receiving public funds as part of a settlement with the Queen that lets them spend more private time in Canada.
The
announcement from Buckingham Palace on Saturday follows more than a week of
intense private talks aimed at managing the fallout of the couple's shock
decision to give up front-line royal duties.
The
decision means the couple will stop usings the titles "royal
highness" as they assume more ordinary lives that will see them spend more
time away from both Britain and the royal family.
"Following
many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that
together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my
grandson and his family," Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement.
"I
recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny
over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent
life."
Her
comments referred to battles with the media that prompted Harry and Meghan --
known until now as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- to sue several newspapers
over intrusions into their private lives.
A separate
statement attributed to Buckingham Palace said "the Sussexes will not use
their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal
Family".
HRH stands
for Her Royal Highness.
"As
agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step
back from royal duties, including official military appointments. They will no
longer receive public funds for royal duties," the statement said.
The
settlement added that the two will also repay £2.4 million ($3.1 million) of
taxpayer's money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor
Castle.
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| Queen Elizabeth II described the settlement as "a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family" (AFP Photo/Ben STANSALL) |
'Progressive new role'
The Palace
would not comment on who ends up paying for their security detail in Canada --
an issue of intense public debate.
It also
failed to mention whether the couple would be allowed to benefit financially
from future royalties and franchise fees.
Harry and
Meghan are seeking to register the "Sussex Royal" brand as a global
trademark for their future enterprises.
The couple
are dedicated to environmental causes and are looking to develop their
charitable foundation as part of a "progressive new role".
The queen's
announcement is her second on the royal crisis -- dubbed Megxit in honour of
Britain's painful battle over Brexit -- since Harry and Meghan's effective
resignation on March 8.
"We
have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a
progressive new role within this institution," the couple said at the
time.
"We
now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North
America."
Meghan then
jetted back to Canada and is now their with their son Archie.
Their
announcement caught the royal family by surprise and created a media sensation
in both Britain and the wider world.
Their
treatment by London's hard-hitting tabloid press and their personal future --
as well as questions about longstanding royal traditions -- have turned into
daily front-page news.
Media
reports said Harry would probably join Meghan and Archie on the west coast of
Canada this coming week.
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The royal
crisis has been dubbed Megxit in honour of Britain's painful battle
over Brexit
(AFP Photo/Tolga AKMEN)
|
'Abdication'
The Queen's
final ruling on her grandson's future drew immediate comparisons to King Edward
VIII's abdication in 1936.
Edward
married the American socialite Wallis Simpson the following year and never
returned to Britain.
"Harry
is not King (he is sixth in line) but tonight this feels like his and Meghan’s
own abdication," ITV television's royal editor Chris Ship said on Twitter.
"This
isn't 1936. But it's still pretty big."
The BBC's
royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said Meghan must also decide whether she
intends to return and spend time in Britain in order to gain her UK
citizenship.
The
couple's future tax status also remains unclear.
"I
think they are feeling their way into this as much as anyone else is,"
Witchell said.
The couple
will now officially be know formally as "Harry, The Duke of Sussex"
and "Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex".
The Palace
statement said the new arrangement "will take effect in the Spring of
2020".
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's effective resignation from front-line duties is only the latest crisis to hit the royal family in the last century https://t.co/iC6b96CBMj— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 19, 2020
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