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The Queen gave him the stark choice of all or nothing
Prince Harry announced his wish to step back from royal duties in January 2020. He hoped to “carve out a progressive new role” within the British royal family, spending some of his time in North America and some in the United Kingdom.
However, at a family meeting on Jan. 13, 2020, attended by the late Queen, the then Prince Charles, and Prince William, Harry was told that a hybrid royal role was impossible. In other words, it was all or nothing.
Consequently, Prince Harry didn’t step back; he stepped down, losing many privileges, some of which he cherished.
The stark choice of all or nothing presented to Harry undoubtedly caused a rift in the royal family. A rift widened further after Harry and Meghan’s revelations, or allegations, in an Oprah Winfrey interview, a Netflix series, and Harry’s book, “Spare.”
Incidentally, “spare” in this context refers to the tradition of monarchs always having more than one child to ensure the continuation of the bloodline should the oldest child meet an early demise. Harry was, in effect, a substitute for Prince William, sitting on the reserves bench.
On Jan. 18, 2020, Buckingham Palace announced that Harry and Meghan were no longer working royals. Harry had decided to take the nothing option to protect his family. But what did he give up for the woman he loved and his children?
1. Royal Titles
Before stepping down, Harry’s title was His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex. Similarly, Meghan had the title of Her Royal Highness. The couple was stripped of their Royal Highness titles, becoming merely the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The loss of royal titles was probably the least painful of all the lost privileges. Indeed, the couple had already indicated that they preferred to be known as Harry and Meghan. However, there are now calls for the couple to be stripped of their Duke and Duchess titles. That would likely be a bigger blow to the ex-royals.
2. The Sovereign Grant
Senior members of the royal family receive a grant from the UK government to cover some of the expenses they incur representing the monarch and the country. Harry said goodbye to these payments when he stepped down from royal duties.
Removing his share of the Sovereign Grant certainly didn’t leave Harry penniless. He inherited millions of pounds from his mother, Princess Dianna. And Meghan had accumulated wealth from her acting career. Furthermore, Harry and Meghan had said they wanted to work towards financial independence anyway. Still, they probably didn’t expect their income to be cut so abruptly.
3. Military Titles
Harry has strong military ties; he spent 10 years in the British Army, rising to the rank of captain and serving two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Furthermore, he founded the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for injured service personnel. So, the loss of his honorary military titles when he stepped down must have hurt.
Harry gave up three military appointments when he quit the royal family, including that of Captain General Royal Marines. Consequently, he also lost the right to wear a military uniform at ceremonial events, as was the case at the Queen’s funeral, unlike other royal family members.
King Charles made an exception to the rule when Harry stood vigil over his grandmother’s coffin, granting Harry permission to wear a uniform on this occasion. Even so, Harry wasn’t permitted to wear the ER insignia, which stands for Elizabeth Regina, as he was no longer a serving member of the royal family.
4. Royal Duties
Harry said he wanted to step back from royal duties but continue in a supporting role, representing the monarch and supporting the Commonwealth. However, that wasn’t to be. Instead, all royal engagements ceased, including the high-profile overseas royal tours.
In the long run, the lack of royal engagements is likely to reduce the marketability of the Harry and Meghan brand. Public interest in the couple may wane, reducing their earning potential. And there’s a limit to how many bombshells any ex-royal couple can drop in books, interviews, and podcasts.
5. Security
As working royals, Harry and Meghan were entitled to security protection provided and funded by the British Government. Now, the couple must pay for their own security. For such a high-profile, high-risk family, that security will be expensive. However, it’s been reported that King Charles has agreed to make a private contribution towards paying the costs.
6. Protection from the Press
There’s an insatiable public thirst for stories and photos of the royal family. Indeed, one of the reasons Harry has given for stepping down is press intrusion into the couple’s private lives. However, ironically, by ceasing to be working royals, Harry and Meghan have lost the protection from the press that they had.
For example, a royal rota system periodically gives chosen journalists greater access to designated royal family members. There are also informal agreements, such as that made between the paparazzi and the royal family, to leave Prince Harry and William alone at school and university. In return for restraint, the press is given access to staged photo sessions with the princes.
7. Frogmore Cottage
When Harry and Meghan married, the Queen gifted Frogmore Cottage, a five-bedroom residence on the grounds of Windsor Home Park, to the couple. The severance deal between Harry and the royal family allowed him to retain ownership of Frogmore Cottage. However, the prince had to repay the taxpayer-funded £2.4 million refurbishment of the cottage.
It’s unlikely that the couple would now want to live a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, even if they did return to the UK. Furthermore, given all that’s been said, they probably wouldn’t get a warm welcome from the royal family either.
8. Family and Country
It’s easy to focus only on the material possessions and the trappings of royalty that Prince Harry lost. However, Harry has also moved away from and alienated his family, including his brother, Prince William. While the fraternal relationship may be frosty now, the two were once very close. Harry has also moved away from his home country, a country that he has often said he loves. These losses may not sadden Meghan, but Harry must feel them as acutely as anyone else would.
Hopefully, Harry and Meghan will be happy in their new life in California. Given time, the family rift may heal, too, if there are no further damaging allegations, revelations, or infighting. However, what Prince Harry lost is likely far more than he envisaged when he first proposed stepping back from royal duties. Still, you can’t quit any job and expect to retain the salary, benefits, perks, job title, and status.
HR Consultant | Life Coach | Freelance Writer | Delivering content with the reader’s interests in mind.
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