Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced on Tuesday that they would give up their prominent role in the British royal family to settle for part of the year in North America. The decision was immediately commented on and criticized by the British press, in particular the tabloids.
This announcement by the Duke - sixth in the order of succession to the throne - and the Duchess of Sussex, who openly mentioned their difficulty in dealing with media pressure, comes after a year of crises for the Windsor. It "dominates" the front pages of British newspapers this Thursday, notes the Australian chain ABC. From scandalous newspapers like The Daily Mirror or The Sun to the very serious The Times or The Independant , all the press across the Channel has taken over the story. With a common theme: the couple had not warned the queen.
Elizabeth II taken aback
"We intend to give up (the role of) senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to support the queen," said the grandson of Elizabeth II in a statement. his wife. "We are now planning to divide our time between the United Kingdom and North America," they added, saying they wanted to found a charity organization and said they had made this decision "after many months of reflection".
This decision took the royal family by surprise, who hoped to be able to start 2020 under better auspices after, by the queen's own admission, a year "full of pitfalls". “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take another path, but these are complicated questions which take time to settle, "reacted the queen in a press release sent by Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth II, 93, acknowledges having been taken aback by the broadcast of the couple's explosive message.
BREAKING A palace source tells the BBC that senior members of the Royal family feel “hurt” by the announcement that Harry and Meghan are to withdraw from their current Royal roles. The source confirmed that no members of the royal family were consulted.
- Jonny Dymond (@JonnyDymond) January 8, 2020"Selfish" Decision
"They didn't even tell the queen," said the tabloid Daily Mirror , seeing it as a "selfish" decision by Prince Harry. The Sun spoke of a “Megxit”, a pun on Brexit, and the Times headlined about “division” within the royal family. The BBC estimated that the palace was "injured" by this unexpected development.
MIRROR: They didn't even tell the Queen #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/sXYtkYjvyD
- Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 8, 2020Tomorrow's front page: Queen 'deeply upset' at Harry and Meghan's Royal exit sparking 'civil war' - with Charles and Wills 'incadescent with rage' https://t.co/xo6t5qdpsO pic.twitter.com/ZYEfjlEmwN
- The Sun (@TheSun) January 8, 2020TIMES: Harry and Meghan quit roles amid Palace split #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/e3W4P3KSBS
- Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 8, 2020The name "Megxit" has been taken up by several newspapers around the world, such as the conservative New York newspaper New York Post , which features a drawing of Meghan and Harry in their new life as "commoners". "Abdicate or stay!" Asserts an editorial writer for the conservative daily.
NEW YORK POST: Megxit #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/LuNIITagsA
- Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 9, 2020No precedent for this situation
"Harry and Meghan seem to be used to doing things without anyone knowing what's going to happen," which is "the wrong way" to do, said former Queen's press secretary Dickie Arbiter , on Sky News television. “They sometimes have good press, sometimes bad press. We must do against bad fortune, good heart, "he said.
For BBC royal affairs correspondent Jonny Dymond, "there are many more questions than answers" in Harry and Meghan's shock announcement: "What will be their new role? Where will they live? Who will pay for it? What relationship will they have with the rest of the royal family? The journalist recalls that there is "no precedent in modern times" for such a situation.
"The queen will be totally devastated"
"The queen will be totally devastated by this," said another specialist in royal affairs, the journalist and author Phil Dampier, quoted by the Telegraph . "She has a lot of affection for Harry, but however we want to present the case, what happens is that (Harry and Meghan) withdraw from their obligations and parade."
In the early days of the couple's public life, the tabloids welcomed the arrival of the ex-actress as a breath of fresh air for the royal family. They were quick to turn on her with vitriolic articles, criticizing her behavior, which was deemed capricious.
Harry against the tabloids
Faced with criticism, Harry, 35, filed in early October a series of complaints against tabloids, accusing them of violating his privacy and making a big deal out of Meghan's conflicting relationship with his father. He then issued a statement saying he feared that "history will repeat itself" and that his wife would be a victim of "the same powerful forces" that led to the death of his mother Diana, who died in a car accident during a chase with motorcycle paparazzi.
The scandal press also took over the cracks appearing between Harry and his big brother William, second in the order of succession to Queen Elizabeth, putting her on the account of a disagreement between their wives.
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Meghan Markle confides, tears in her eyes, on the ordeal that made her experience the tabloids
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