Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially stepped down as senior royals at the end of March after they completed their final engagement in the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently residing in Los Angeles with their son Archie, where they are starting a new life outside the Royal Family.
Six months ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first announced their withdrawal. This month, the Duke of Sussex lost a big part of him.
June is the start for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to abide with the arrangement after their royal exit. It is this month that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can no longer use the word “Royal” in their new ventures, which is a title that the prince has carried since birth. Now, he is losing the title that was a big part of him in exchange for financial independence and “peaceful life.”
Initially, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still wish to continue serving Queen Elizabeth. However, Her Majesty declined their request.
After announcing their decision in January, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s website stated that they would “carve out a progressive new role” and “adjust their working model.” But after their discussion with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William, it was decided that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will completely step back from royal duties as of spring of 2020.
Even though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wished to withdraw from being senior royals, they still want to “collaborate” with Queen Elizabeth. However, they were told that they can “no longer formally represent” Her Majesty in their new lives.
Kensington Palace revealed that one of the exit terms that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle agreed on is for them to prevent from using their HRH (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness) titles. Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex supported this decision, one royal author called Her Majesty “mean-spirited” for coming up with it.
“The palace’s decision to strip Prince Harry and Meghan of their HRH titles does not fall far short of being mean-spirited,” Nigel Cawthorne, author of "Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself," said. “The palace’s graceless response is unnecessarily harsh.”
Aside from losing their HRH titles, Prince Harry will lose his military titles as well. This decision deeply upset the Duke of Sussex, according to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
