Queen Elizabeth II already granted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's desire to step down from their royal duties. Her Majesty, along with Prince Charles and Prince William, crafted a deal that would both work for the monarchy and the Sussexes. As they are about to leave their HRH titles, the royal couple also promised to pay the taxpayers' money that was spent on the renovation of their Frogmore Cottage, but campaigners believed that they should also pay for everything that was spent on their lavish wedding in 2018.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding reportedly cost £5 million and the campaign group Republic wanted them to pay for it. The group's CEO, Graham Smith, criticized the way the two dealt with the royal crisis and said that they "couldn't have it both ways."
"I think they made a pretty big mistake by making a lot of assumptions about keeping titles and cottages and police protection," he told The Independent. "I think the public reaction has been pretty difficult for them."
In the end, Smith suggested that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry needed to decide if they wanted to be public officials or private citizens, adding they couldn't have the best of both worlds. If they ought to leave their royal duties behind, they should also abandon their royal titles and "live their own lives at their own expense."
Smith also questioned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to move to Canada, accusing them of "abandoning" all of their responsibilities. After the public spent millions on their wedding and another £2.5 million on their home with added status through their titles, the campaign leader said they decided to "run away and abandon" their royal duties after 18 months. Hence, he firmly believed that they should get their millions back and stop them from spending the public's money as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry addressed their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family in his speech at a recent charity event, Sentebale, via Elle. He said he wanted the people to hear the truth from him, admitting it was with great sadness that they came up with the decision to abdicate their seats.
He revealed their choice was not made easy as it took them many months of talks after so many years of challenges. Unfortunately, they were left with no other option. The 35-year-old added that they initially wanted to continue serving Queen Elizabeth, the Commonwealth, and their military associations, although they have reduced roles, that was not possible. Prince Harry then only hoped that the public would understand that he wanted to step back for his family so that that they could have a more peaceful life.
