Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have expressed their need for financial independence from the royal family. As such, they have announced that they will be stepping down as senior members of the royal family and asked to be released from the Sovereign Grant that funds their official royal duties.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also said that they will still support Queen Elizabeth and continue to work for her charities. However, they also want to create their own brand of charity work while continuing to represent the Queen.
According to Daily Express, even if Prince Harry and Meghan could find jobs and earn a private income to support their lifestyle, Her Majesty will still expect the Sussex couple to abide by one rule called the Nolan Principle. This rule covers all public figures in the United Kingdom and anyone who performs services in the interest of the public must observe certain ethical standards that will not put the monarchy in disgrace.
Thus, if Prince Harry and Meghan are scaling down their work for the Queen, they are still considered public figures who represent the British monarchy. Under this principle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex must always observe selfishness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.
The Nolan Principle expects public figures like royals to disregard self-interest. Their activities must be transparent to the public and they must avoid displaying bad behavior in front of their subjects.
Currently, Prince Harry and Meghan are still negotiating their new arrangement with the royal family. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Daily Express that many things are still unclear and there are a lot of questions to be settled. Will this mean Meghan can return to acting? Will the Sussex royals turn their brand into a commercial endeavor and profit from it?
The lifestyle Prince Harry and Meghan want has some precedence in the royal family. Prince Harry's cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, sometimes attend to their royal duties at the behest of the Queen but they also have their own full-time jobs.
However, the York sisters, the daughters of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, have never been considered as senior members of the royal family unlike Prince Harry, who comes from Prince Charles' direct line as the heir to the throne. As such, they are not bounded by the things that currently restrict Prince Harry and Meghan from having a say in their own lives.
