21
votes
Prince Harry and Meghan quit the Firm - couple step back as senior members of Royal Family
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- Title
- Duke and Duchess of Sussex to 'step back' as senior members of the Royal Family, couple confirm in statement
- Authors
- Victoria Ward, Jack Hardy
- Published
- Jan 8 2020
- Word count
- 229 words
Also covered by the BBC, who I think were a little gentler than the (generally quite traditionalist) Telegraph.
This story speaks to me, even as someone who usually takes very little interest in the royals. Looking across an almost unimaginable gulf in upbringing and experience, I can't help but see this and smile.
They're born into a life of enormous privilege, of course, but it comes with a set of mandatory rules and regulations straight out of the 1850s and a relationship with the press so unpleasant that it literally killed Harry's mother.
Saying a polite "no thank you" and stepping out seems like the only sensible or healthy option, and it sends the absolute right message about what's important in life.
I genuinely wonder how much the location helped their decision, too. I spent some time on Vancouver Island last year, and even as an inveterate city dweller I seriously considered just... not coming back. There's something about that landscape that resonates as deeply as anywhere I've ever travelled. The way they've timed this suggests they felt much the same.
"No thank you, but keep that sweet, sweet money coming in" is more like it. Seems pretty entitled to me. Of course, they are royals, so..
I'll take some responsibility here. I read a good bit of the article, although I can't see it now to see where I missed that part, but I did see the parts where they were going to maintain their residence, etc. I should 100% read the article better before commenting.
They clearly say they want to become financially independent.
More best of both worlds bullshit by the Royals. If they dont want to be royality they should renounce their titles and live private lives on their own expense. If they want the lifestyle and security that comes from being a royal they have to deal with the prodigious amount of bullshit and obligations that comes from being royalty.
I'd be so happy if the Queens dying act is to abolish the entire thing.
Hm?
Their statement says "We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen)." [emphasis mine]
I expect they will gradually wean themselves off any income they receive via royal channels, as they develop their own personal sources of income. It's also worth noting that they are independently wealthy as private individuals - Harry inherited small fortunes from his mother (Lady Diana) and his paternal great-grandmother (the former Queen Mother).
I find that a bit harsh. Prince Harry is 35 years old. Apart from short military jobs, he never had to earn a living. His title is all he's got, and it is not intrinsically bad if he uses it for good. If the expression "financially independent" means what it looks like, that's a laudable decision.
If their goal is to minimize the press intruding into their lives, then this statement was entirely counter productive.
Royal gossip has an eerie ability to annoy me.