"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their title of Royal Highness since they are no longer active members of the Royal Family." Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday (January 18th) in a statement that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will be renouncing their title of Royal Highness. They will also stop receiving public funds.
The press release gives no details on the future police protection from which the couple will benefit.
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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 18, 2020 at 10:30 am PST
In a personal statement, the Queen welcomed the finding of "a constructive solution for my grandson and his family", who announced on January 8 their wish to distance themselves from the royal family and their obligations.
She points out that "Harry, Meghan and Archie will remain very dear members of my family". Acknowledging "the challenges" they have faced in the past two years, where they have been subjected to "intense observation" of their actions, the queen says she supports "their wish for a more independent life".
"Transition period"
This announcement comes a few days after a family council in his residence in Sandringham (east of England). Reluctantly, Elizabeth II had agreed to let her grandson and his wife fly to their "new life", by granting them a "transition period" between the United Kingdom and Canada.
For their part Harry and Meghan have committed to reimburse certain public expenses which they have benefited from, notably the sums used to renovate the Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, their place of residence in the United Kingdom, which had been criticized in the media.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced on January 8 their decision to give up their prominent role in the British royal family to gain financial independence and settle for part of the year in North America.
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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support. ”- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33 am PST
This shock announcement by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who openly spoke of their difficulty in experiencing media pressure, comes after a year of crises for the Windsor, also faced with the emergence of the name of Prince Andrew in the Epstein case
With AFP
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