This year has been bittersweet for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May. However, they also faced several challenges this year.
This year alone, the Sussexes were criticized for their lifestyle such as flying in private jets as well as their obsession with privacy. The royal couple is currently on a break from royal duties after they admitted that they have been struggling with the pressure of royal life.
"It's not enough to just survive something...You've got to thrive, you've got to feel happy," Meghan can be recalled saying in their documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, in ITV.
After the interview was aired, the couple announced that they will be taking a break from royal engagements for six weeks. This sparked rumors that Harry and Meghan could be considering leaving their royal life altogether.
Speculations have it that the couple may not only quit their royal life, they may even move away from the U.K. and reside in other countries. There have been rumors that the Sussexes might move to the U.S. or to Africa for good.
So what would happen when the couple eventually decided to take this course? According to Maclean's Magazine, if Harry and Meghan renounce their royal duties, they also have to give up their royal titles and their claims to the throne. This means their son and their future grandchildren will be living as non-royal.
Once Harry stepped down from his royal obligations, he would also lose his allowance as a member of the royal family. This means the Sussexes will have to finance their own expenses including their security which is currently being provided by the police and paid for by British taxpayers.
Many believe that money won't be an issue for the couple since Harry has inherited significant wealth from his late mother, Princess Diana, and her great grandmother, Queen Mother. In addition, Meghan has also earned millions when she was still an actress.
In addition, Harry and Markle will also lose their London residence at Kensington Palace, their country residence, and the privilege to use the royal collections that include antiques, jewels, furniture, and art.
Abdication is common for royal families across the world. However, royal experts believe that Harry's resignation would be less significant to the line of succession since he is not the immediate heir to the throne. He is currently fourth in the line of succession and it is extremely unlikely that he would ever take the throne to rule.
Perhaps the most important factor on whether Harry and Meghan would make such a decision is the fact that once they decided to resign, their decision is final and cannot be undone. This means, if they changed their minds in the future, they would never get their titles and privileges once again.
