Yesterday, (former Prince) Harry and his wife Meghan started a new life. The pair went from members of Britain’s royal family to—well, no one knows for sure.
In January, the couple announced they would step down from official duties, give up public funding, seek financial independence, and swap the United Kingdom for North America. After a stint in Canada, Harry, Meghan, and 10-month-old Archie now live in California.
Queen Elizabeth, Harry’s grandmother, supported the couple’s decision. However, she removed their His/Her Royal Highness titles. In effect, she told them they couldn’t step away from their royal responsibilities and keep their titles. The change became official on March 31.
The couple has long bristled at the intense scrutiny by the British media. They say the coverage has sometimes become harassment. The pair decided to break free, in what Harry called a “leap of faith.” He has long had an uncomfortable relationship with the media, which he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana. She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by photographers.
The couple are keeping their titles, Duke and Duchess of Sussex but not the Their Royal Highnesses titles. They had hoped to keep using the “Sussex Royal” brand in their new life. But U.K. rules about use of the word “royal” prevented that.
The couple plans to launch a non-profit organization for charitable activities, spanning mental health, conservation, and education. Harry will continue to oversee the Invictus Games, the Olympics-style competition he founded for wounded troops. Disney has hired Meghan as the narrator of “Elephant,” a nature documentary.
For now, the couple’s office says Harry and Meghan want the world to focus “on the global response to COVID-19.” Harry’s father, Prince Charles, tested positive for the virus. His case was not life threatening.
“The world at this moment seems extraordinarily fragile,” the couple said in a final post Monday on their now-closed SussexRoyal Instagram account. “As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute.”
In Britain, royal historian Penny Junor says the remaining royals are helping boost the nation’s morale during the coronavirus pandemic. The queen issued a message to the nation, while Harry’s brother Prince William and his children joined in a public round of applause for healthcare workers. Junor says, “All of this is absolutely what the family is about, and those members of the royal family that are on a limb now are pretty irrelevant.”
(In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018, photo, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry watch a fly-by of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London. AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
