Could Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy a private life and still do their royal duties? It has been possible for Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's only daughter, and Prince Harry's aunt, and she might be the blueprint to be emulated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The Princess Royal carries on her duties as a senior royal and is, in fact, the hardest working member of The Firm with a packed schedule from year to year. Unlike Prince Harry and Meghan, however, her life is not scrutinized by the media, and she has successfully kept it this way.
Like every senior royal family member working for the Queen, Princess Anne receives money from the Sovereign Grant for her official royal duties. However, she manages her own home in Gatcombe Park as a private estate.
Daily Express reported that she was actually reluctant to take the title Princess Royal. However, she could not turn down her mother for this particular tradition as this has been given to the first daughter of the monarch since 1642.
The Princess Royal's first husband, Mark Phillips, reportedly refused the royal title of earldom offered by Queen Elizabeth when they got married. Her second husband, Timothy Laurence, also did the same. Meghan, on the other hand, took on the title Duchess of Sussex when she married Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
Princess Anne also refused titles for her children, Zara Phillips Tindall and Peter Phillips. Since they were further down the line of succession, Zara and Peter were able to live their lives as private citizens since they were little kids.
Prince Harry reportedly followed this same principle and did not pass any royal titles to his son, Archie Harrison. Zara and Peter are also not working royals. They have their own careers and private income, and thus, have largely also stayed away from the eyes of the public.
Meanwhile, sources from Buckingham Palace confirmed that talks are progressing well between Prince Harry and the senior royals. After announcing their decision to scale back on their royal roles, Queen Elizabeth ordered her heirs to plan and chart out the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's future with The Firm.
According to BBC, the matter might be finished "sooner rather than later." Insiders said that it would be for the best interest of all parties if this matter was resolved with a good outcome.
