[ad_1]
Buckingham Palace may have been caught “off guard” by recent announcements by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as members of the independent royal family.
On February 15, CBS announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on a special called “Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special”. The interview will air on Sunday March 7. It will also be the couple’s first session since their engagement.
Then on February 19, Buckingham Palace confirmed that he will not resume royal duties and Harry will relinquish his honorary military titles. Soon after, a spokesperson for the couple responded to suggestions that they were not being devoted to duty by issuing their own statement.
“As evidenced by their work over the past year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service in the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have been represented regardless of their official role, “the spokesperson said in a statement. “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
PRINCE HARRY SAYS MEGHAN MARKLE WAS THE ONLY ONE AFTER THIS MOMENT: ‘WE ARE FROM ZERO TO 60 IN TWO MONTHS’
It was previously announced that Prince Harry would team up with Oprah Winfrey to create a mental health documentary series for Apple’s streaming service.
(Getty)
Royal author and Vanity Fair correspondent Katie Nicholl recently appeared on True Royalty TV’s “The Royal Beat” and described how the palace may not have expected the couple to push back their statement or announcement. a televised session.
During his appearance, Nicholl pointed out that it was initially reported that Buckingham Palace was supposed to make a decision on the royal status of Markle and Harry on March 31. However, their decision came much sooner than expected.
“You know, the timing was interesting,” she explained. “It came right after Oprah’s announcement. I think the palace felt caught off guard by… Oprah’s announcement. It was clear that the Sussexes were working like a machine in their own right. weren’t working. with the palace. They had their own team and they had decided. “
“They only needed March 31 to make this announcement,” Nicholl continued. “From what I understood from the sources I spoke to, the palace was like, ‘Well, why don’t we make the announcement sooner? Let’s go through those details. Let’s end all this speculation if that is. was their decision and they had succeeded. “
PRINCE HARRY REVEALS WHAT HE THINKS OF NETFLIX’S ‘CROWN’: ‘IT’S FREELY BASED ON THE TRUTH’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry currently reside in California with their firstborn Archie. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their second child.
(Getty)
Nicholl claimed the palace already knew Markle and Harry were expecting their second child. The announcement was made to the public on Valentine’s Day – a day before the interview was revealed. However, she alleged that the palace had no idea when they would meet Winfrey, 67, next.
She also claimed the Sussexes were forced to respond after the palace released their statement debunking any misconceptions that they did not want to live a life of service.
“I think the point that really caught the Sussexes’ attention was this suggestion – that they weren’t going to be able to continue public service,” she explained. “Now when they moved to America and created this foundation and made a commitment to dedicate their new lives to philanthropy, albeit on their terms – that’s what attracted them. And it made them angry. this is why this statement was sent deliberately without this preface.… And I don’t know about you, but this statement reads as if it came directly from the couple. “
When Harry and Markle stepped down from full-time royal life in March 2020, unhappy with the media scrutiny and restrictions on their roles, it was agreed that the situation would be reviewed after a year.
PRINCE HARRY’S PAL ARMY SPEAKS OUT AFTER ROYAL LOSES MILITARY TITLES: ‘Hope it’s worth it for him’
From left to right: Duchess Kate, Prince William, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry. In early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would take a step back as a senior member of the British Royal Family.
(Reuters)
Now it does, and the palace said in a statement that the couple had verified “that they will not be returning as active members of the royal family.”
He said Queen Elizabeth II spoke to Harry, 36, and confirmed: “By moving away from the work of the royal family, it is not possible to continue to take on the responsibilities and duties which accompany a life of public service. “
The palace said Harry’s appointment as captain general of the Royal Marines and the titles of other military groups would go to the Queen before being distributed to other family members.
Harry served in the British Army for a decade, including on the front line in Afghanistan, and maintains a close connection with the military. He founded the Invictus Games competition for wounded soldiers, which was first held in 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
MEGHAN MARKLE & PRINCE HARRY REVEAL NEW PROJECT AFTER LEAVING ROYAL SENIOR
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry initially got married in 2018.
(AP)
The Invictus Games Foundation has said that Harry will remain their boss. But he gives up his duties as boss of the Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League and the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
Meghan, 39, will be deprived of her role as patron of Britain’s National Theater and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
“Although everyone is saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family,” the palace statement said.
Markle, a former star of the TV legal drama ‘Suits’, married Queen Harry’s grandson at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son, Archie, was born a year later.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have expressed their desire to be financially independent and live a life of service.
(AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
In early 2020, Markle and Harry announced that they were stepping down from royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media towards the Duchess, who was identifies as biracial.
The couple agreed to no longer use the title of ‘royal highness’ or receive public funds for their work, although it was not clear at the time whether those decisions would stand.
They retain their titles of Duke and Duchess, and Harry is still sixth on the British throne. Harry and Meghan now live in Santa Barbara, California.
“The Royal Beat” is currently available to stream on True Royalty TV. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link