Prince Harry Meghan Markle loses royal patronage Megxit One year review

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With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex due to appear in a revealing interview with Oprah next month, it should be noted that the CBS special will air just weeks before the official end of the 12-month review period of the couple after Megxit. A phase which was set out in the initial terms of the couple’s Spring 2020 transition declaration, it was agreed that ‘the start of the revised role of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ would be ‘subject to a review of 12 months ”; interpreted as a kind of “safety net” if they had to change their minds or struggle to finance their lives away from the royal family.

By agreeing to their first interview since Megxit – in which the pair are believed to make their decision to relinquish their official royal roles – as the review approaches, it further lessens doubts Prince Harry and Meghan will continue their independent existence. . It was reported earlier this week that the couple, who recently announced they are expecting their second child, will see most of their remaining formal ties to the Royal Family severed as they progress through their own professional endeavors (such as deals with Netflix and Spotify and Meghan’s investment in a brand of “ wellness ” slats). Still, the fallout appears to have been a blow, the Duke was reportedly “ upset ” by the Queen’s decision that the couple were to lose their royal patronage.

The couple’s spring 2020 transitional statement read: ‘As far as the military is concerned, the Duke of Sussex will retain the rank of major and the honorary ranks of lieutenant commander and squadron leader. During this 12 month review period, the Duke’s official military appointments will not be used as they are in the Sovereign’s Gift. No new appointments will be made to fill these roles until the 12 month review of the new arrangements is complete. Now, however, the Times reports that the Duke would be saddened by the decision that he will have to relinquish a number of posts associated with his former royal role, once the 12-month review goes into effect.

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The Queen is believed to have agreed to her grandson forgoing his honorary military appointments (such as his much-loved role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, as Honorary Air Commander of RAF Honington at Bury St Edmunds, and as Commodore-in Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command). Harry and Meghan will also have to relinquish all of their royal patronages in the Queen’s gift they initially clung to when they stepped down as members of the Royal Family, such as the post of patron of the Duchess’s National Theater and the patronages of the Duke with the Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League and London Marathon. An announcement to this effect is expected within a few weeks, before the review period ends at the end of next month.

The couple’s affiliations with Commonwealth organizations are believed to be less clear. The Duchess is currently the patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and Harry and Meghan are respectively chairman and vice chairman of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which was established by Harry’s office in 2018 to coincide with the 92nd anniversary of the Queen. A Commonwealth source told the Times: “I think that for them, the novelty has worn off. At first they thought the Commonwealth could be their thing. But I see no desire to maintain this commitment. And since the couple now live in the United States, having moved to Montecito, Calif., It makes it even more difficult to hold roles within the Commonwealth. The couple are, however, expected to keep their patrons private, as with the Invictus, WellChild and Sentebale (Harry) Games; and the Mayhew and Smart Works (Meghan) animal rescue charity.

The Times quotes a source described as a “friend” as saying of Harry: “His military job is one of the most important things to him … Of course he wants to keep them.” Indeed, the Duke recently accepted an apology and “ substantial damages ” from Associated Newspapers for “ baseless, false and defamatory stories ” published in the Mail on Sunday, alleging he had snubbed the Royal Marines from Megxit. But another source said for Buckingham Palace: ‘There was no choice. The reality of not being able to have their cake and eat it finally appears to him. I’m sure it’s really painful for him. He is very upset to be in this place. But they made choices. They have a lot of exciting things to work on, and it can be done with the best wishes of all. But you cannot confuse the representation of the institution and the head of state with the kind of business operations they intend to conduct. A former senior naval officer added: ‘I think people wouldn’t want to upset Her Majesty. I also can’t see how, if the rumors that Harry wants to live in America and even become an American citizen are true, his wishes might be acceptable.

The Telegraph adds that none of the organizations with which the couple will have to give up their ties has yet received information from the Palace, which has remained “blind” and uncertain about the future. Many have reportedly expressed a desire to maintain their links with the Duke and Duchess and are privately frustrated and not kept abreast of developments. Therefore, it is believed that the decision will be announced before the end of the official review period at the end of March, in order to allow the necessary preparations. Rugby Football League, which planned to have Harry ‘front and center’ of their World Cup coverage later this year, said they were ‘very proud’ to have him as their boss since 2016, noting: “ The RFL has not received any official correspondence relating to any changes at this time. The National Theater, meanwhile, a patronage passed on to the Duchess by the Queen, publicly described her as “ very committed ” and happy to use her “ star reach ”. The Telegraph however alleges that a source hinted that there was no love lost between the organization and Meghan.

A source reportedly told the Telegraph this week Harry and Meghan reluctantly resigned themselves to relinquishing such roles, but which they themselves had yet to receive confirmation from the palace. One individual said to be close to the Sussexes said he knew he would not be able to keep such titles but it was sad nonetheless, saying: ‘All they did was express their commitment to them. There is no doubt that if it were up to them, they would keep them.

The newspaper also quotes a friend who insisted that the 90-minute Oprah Winfrey interview, titled Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special, was by no means a form of revenge against the royal family, but was long planned. The television appearance, for which the couple will not be paid, was billed as a ‘high-profile interview, covering everything from entering royal life, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to … manage life under intense public pressure. It is scheduled to be taped this week and airs on U.S. network CBS on March 7. The source said: “This is a big deal… I know Oprah has been working on issues all weekend, I’m told nothing is off limits. She can ask for anything she wants.

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