Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's deal with Queen Elizabeth in saying goodbye to their royal roles was not what they originally wanted. The Duke of Sussex confirmed the details in a speech but it looks like they were outsmarted by Her Majesty.
According to palace sources, Prince Harry was left "devastated" by the outcome of his talks with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William. Apparently, it was made very clear to the Sussexes that they can only scale back on their royal duties if they agreed to the terms set by Buckingham Palace.
Prince Harry even admitted that the terms they wanted was different. However, they didn't have any option but to accept the Queen's offer.
Specifically, the Duke of Sussex said that he and Meghan wanted to "continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding." However, that last detail about public funds was not going to be possible.
Senior members of the royal family rely on the Sovereign Grant to carry out their work for Queen Elizabeth. This fund pays for their trips, their staff and security details, especially when they are on official assignments for the Crown.
Sources at the palace said that Queen Elizabeth didn't want a half-in-half-out agreement. Thus, aside from losing their titles, Prince Harry and Meghan can also no longer represent Her Majesty. They will not be called upon for official duties, even as this was part of what they originally wanted.
Prince Harry also lost all of his military affiliations in the deal. Before his work as a senior royal, the duke had been proud of his time serving in Afghanistan and the military for 10 years.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may still be allowed to keep their patronages and work with their charities like the Sentebale and the Invictus Games. However, they will be representing themselves as private individuals and not in the service of Her Majesty.
In essence, the Queen forced upon the Sussexes to abdicate without actually saying the word. According to royal expert Alastair Bruce, Prince Harry's status has dropped down to at least 30 levels below the other dukes in the British monarchy.
But, Prince Harry is still the sixth in line to throne and his son with Meghan, Archie Harrison, is still the seventh in line. Experts said, however, that it's highly unlikely for Prince Harry to be king one day.
