Harry stepping down as a royal family member

[kittykatkitty]

Just read this on their instagram page.
They plan on becoming private citizens

The past 6 weeks, they've been in Canada. We didn't have to read vacuous headlines about them. It was great!

Did they do one charitable thing in those 6 weeks?

everybody should have choices, although if they didn't foresee the level of interest in their lives they are really rather dumb. She was famous in her own right so already knew the score.

repay the cottage refurb bill please, that was a bit cheeky with this coming up. And then, good luck to them - they will need some support with security but beyond that, get earning.

I hope they will learn from Diana's mistakes - I well recall the 'stepping back ' announcement followed by a massive succession of freebies that no-one else would have got. I get that it is probably impossible for Harry to see clearly why she died, but I hope that one day he will find peace with it.

Harry is (has been?) a Counsellor of State, one of the senior royals whom the Queen can ask to represent her.

The other C of S are Princes Philip (retired), Charles, William and Andrew (stepped back), so not many useful options there.

I wonder whether the "Big Announcement" about Catherine that was being touted last week as imminent will be about her taking on some of Harry's responsibilities.

I can't imagine William that would be happy if this were the case, but the only other option would be to give it to the Yorks.

@ChestnutSmoothie
ssshhhh, they’re just like me and you now!!! I hope they can keep things going from daddy’s last £2 million deposit until their first child benefit payment comes through, the poor dears.

It seems sensible to me: the RF is far too sprawling and between HM, PC&Cam, Princess Royal and the Wessexes, there are enough to go around. The Cambridges will do more, as will their family as they grow up. So Harry & Meghan, and Andrew's daughters need to find their own way, out of the spotlights, just as other minor royals have done. I wish them well and hope they will be happy, and that they are not tempted to cash in crassly.

Good luck to them! Good decision.

A lot of people/charities/organisations like seeing the Royals.

If they streamline too much there won't be enough of them to go around all the worthy causes/overseas trade etc they support.

Thankfully this thread is the first I've heard of it. I haven't left because there were a few themes being repeated. I just centre on to ask why the assumption that there's an emotional cause to the decision? M wasn't properly paired, didn't properly understand, tried it and didn't like it, if H wants to keep her happy, H feels futile so far from the thrown... etc., this is a huge decision, not one I expect they took from such an isolated, emotional position. A decision line this must have been on the cards or at least openly discussed as an option from the start, with the organisation.

Anyhow, what else is mn up to tonight...

The 'work towards financial independence' part was a bit annoying - surely they are both loaded already and could afford to support themselves until finding paid roles - whatever they may be?

Bit cheeky to say we're quitting, but you can carry on paying for us until we're on our own two feet. Harry in particular is already a millionaire.

Don't blame them in the slightest and suspect this is step one into becoming exiled British royalty in North America. Much, much easier to find a bit of space in Canada and even America than on this overcrowded set of islands. They'll probably find it much easier to stay away from prying eyes and our intrusive, bullying mainstream media.

I'm not a royalist in the slightest, especially after it becoming VERY apparent in the last year or so how little real power the monarch has for that whacking great salary she draws from the public purse, but I genuinely wish them all the best.

Harry is (has been?) a Counsellor of State, one of the senior royals whom the Queen can ask to represent her.

The other C of S are Princes Philip (retired), Charles, William and Andrew (stepped back), so not many useful options there.

I wonder whether the "Big Announcement" about Catherine that was being touted last week as imminent will be about her taking on some of Harry's responsibilities.

Catherine is likely to be CoS when William is King. Depending if Camilla is intending to do it when Charles is King then Catherine may replace Philip instead of Camilla

If Harry isn't classed as being domicilled in the UK then he can't be a CoS

Andrew is unlikely to be removed because he is in the line of succession still. He'll be replaced when George hits 21

Just an excuse to cut public duties. Maybe, if they were thinking about this, they could have stepped down before nearly 2.5 million was spent on renovating Frogmore cottage to their specifications!

Great way to make the public even more sceptical of them. We’ve just paid for a huge wedding and a house reno for them on the basis of their royal status only for them to go ‘thanks but no thanks’. They can’t have their cake and eat it.

So, they want to do less work but keep the titles and benefits? Nice work if you can get it. And planning a HUGE carbon footprint to boot.
They should just go, give it all up and go and live their lives independently, but they are clinging on to the ‘best bits’
They are superfluous to requirements anyway, Harry seemed happy playing second fiddle but Megan's not used to that.
Best they go but I do hope we won’t have to pay for them.
Bagsy Frogmore!

Working towards financial independence at the same time as starting a huge foundation sounds very murky to me. Does the financial independence include huge salaries from the Foundation?
Agree that their whole relationship has been so rushed that Meghan was unrealistic about what it would be like. Big move for Harry as he has no ties to North America. Meghan has one family member that she sees.
The Queen is in her 90s, Charles in his 70s. This puts a lot on William's shoulders. In 10 years it will just be him and Kate as his DC will be too young still.

Kate would probably be made Regent for George.
Prince Philip was for Prince Charles

The royal correspondent on C4 news earlier was saying this “halfway house” could be problematic for them. I agree - surely they should really be in or out.

Bibidy

The 'work towards financial independence' part was a bit annoying - surely they are both loaded already and could afford to support themselves until finding paid roles - whatever they may be?

Bit cheeky to say we're quitting, but you can carry on paying for us until we're on our own two feet. Harry in particular is already a millionaire.

THIS!!!^

Wow, the plot thickens! Seems BP were not aware they would announce so soon!

The last line in which they say "It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment" is clearly a veiled "It's because of you that we're going".

I am sorry because since the Brexit referendum, this whole country feels like one of those weird little pubs in the middle of the moors where an outsider walks in and everyone stops talking and stares at them with hostility.

They recently trademarked “Sussex Royal“, it was in the press over Christmas. This has been planned for a while and presumably part of how they will become financially independent. It’s only a matter of time before #merch and #ad start on their Instagram!

How much £££ will we save?

I hope it works out for them but I can’t imagine the media will leave them alone now this drama has happened- they’ll be wanting to do a constant stream of ‘where are they now’ type pieces and speculating on Meghan and Harry’s relationship as well as the couple’s relationship with the RF and her family.

Why is everyone scoffing at "working towards becoming financially independent"? That's not what the statement said, is it? I thought it said they would "work to become financially independent", i.e. would work to earn money, rather than just having it handed to them.

I say good on them. I'd hate to be a royal.

So just read on instgram that that the palace didn't know they were going to announce this today.

Lordy, this is better than the archers.