Harry stepping down as a royal family member

[kittykatkitty]

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

at playing herself in The Crown

One day that series will supersede the actual royals

I am always surprised at how well the Royals do at not being photographed when going about their general lives. There are very few photos for example of Kate on the school run or Meghan out and about in London and I presume they do leave the confines of their homes occasionally.

Diana was hounded that is true. They clamped down after that and made a deal with press to give photo ops

What I can’t understand is the sheer level of greed involved.

They already have fame, people hanging on every boring platitude they utter, more money than the vast majority of us could even imagine. Okay, I get that in return that there are restraints on their lives, that there is an element of the gilded cage.

It’s not enough for them though: they want more of everything.

If they were retiring to be private citizens in Canada and raise their family out of the spotlight, I would have some respect for them. But they just want to escape the Royal duties and grab more money and fame.

I would love it if everyone just ignored them now.

Good luck to them. Meghan has been treated appallingly by our press. To say Diana was treated far worse is ridiculous. Yes Diana had lots of press attention, although a lot of it she wanted, but the press loved her. They certainly don't love Meghan.

I think it's sad. I much prefer her to Kate. Mind you maybe Kate will have to work a bit harder now.

Diana certainly was treated as badly. She was hounded daily. And she didn't have a loving husband defending and supporting her through it. Chestnut nailed it.

Diana courted so much of the attention herself - she totally played the press.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person in the public eye be so vilified and criticised. Ahe maybe a power crazed mad woman or a really nice person, but nobody deserves the malice she has faced. All because she wasn’t a blue blood, came from a poor background, wasn’t white and dared to marry the nations darling, the boy who walked behind the coffin.

Sarah Ferguson easily got as much abuse, that doesn't make it right of course but she isn't the first. I think Mrs Simpson got alot of abuse as well.

The Queen and Charles, plus the government, decide which royals do what

But what happns if a RF member effectively says "stuff you, we'll do what we want" - because with the increasing reports of no palace consultation that's the way it's beginning to look?

On their funding, my understanding was that they only get a small % from the sovereign grant and most of it comes from Charles's Duchy of Cornwall. If so, surely the question of their future finances hinges on what Charles chooses to do (and then William, once his father is king)

Kate has had 3 children in recent years and shows no signs of ditching the RF - maybe a slow introduction works better to make sure anyone marrying in knows what they are signing up for.

But the press and on here just love to put women against each other which is pretty sad.

The press was a runaway train with Diana I reckon she found the daily intrusion hard. Papped on the street etc.

With limit to photo ops it’s more the stuff that is written that Harry would dislike.

I think it's sad. I much prefer her to Kate. Mind you maybe Kate will have to work a bit harder now. Sad that you have to attack one woman to defend another. Kate seems to do her bit, producing 3 kids has kept her busy I imagine and she seems a very loving mother, I'm sure William values that more than anything else she could be doing.

Maybe they are wise to monetise themselves now, I wouldn't want to be reliant on my brother with whom I was on non-speakers for my income

@OVienna
I was in my late 20s when Diana died.
The media was completely different then.
There was no social media; the internet was in its infancy.
Diana was basically in newspapers and briefed reporters. The public had no real way of responding to her.

However Fergie was vilified. For about a year she was seen as a «breath of fresh air» then from her first pregnancy until she divorced and beyond the press were horrible to her and pitted her against Diana.

Fergie made money and worked in America once she was divorced.
I think if Harry and Meghan really want to go down the commercial route ; they are going to have to relinquish the titles and HRHs.

They are clearly trying to force BPs hand

Horrible pair

I think the queen, PC etc should call their bluff. strip them of their titles, stop all their monies. Watch H&M shit themselves.

Moaning they can't earn their own income. FFS. Money for nothing? Yes please! Lets swap places Harry!

All because she wasn’t a blue blood, came from a poor background, wasn’t white and dared to marry the nations darling, the boy who walked behind the coffin.

Utter bollocks. A few loons on the internet might have felt this way, but most normal people wouldn't have given a stuff about any of that.

Kate has had 3 children in recent years and shows no signs of ditching the RF

Kate also has a large supportive family nearby that she heavily relies on. As a newlywed, she escaped to a house with William and their request for privacy was adhered to.

The knives were out for Meghan. She threw herself into the role but nothing she did was good enough. The media were savage. The public United to form a frenzied mob.

I am not a royalist in any shape or form but what was done to Meghan was shameful.

I am your generation Curly. I have lived here since 1994. It is actually possible there was even more coverage of Diana and Fergie on the US where I grew up than here. Fergie really got it in the neck.

I would love it if everyone just ignored them now.

Alas that's unlikely to happen, least of all on MN where there's at least 5 concurrent threads about it!

Really, they should go full stop.

This! All this hand-wringing over multi-millionaires still siphoning off the taxpayer tit as if they're hard done by. Seriously! Get a fucking grip!

Meghan made a thing about hitting the ground running though. Surely, her and Harry could have taken a couple of quiet years to establish themselves after all William and Kate did.

I just think after a relatively brief courtship - she really didn't know what she was getting into.

They've trademarked Sussex Royal recently, I think? If they had this plan in mind then they've taken a risk assuming that they will still have the title to use.

I think it is a very brave move. I admire their bravery.

Oh, yeah, right up there with volunteer firefighters in Australia and kids battling cancer, titles and millions of pounds .

I think that it is also significant, from a mental health point of view, that Harry is mid thirties, as was Diana when she died. These kind of connections and anniversaries can be very destabilising if you are suffering from unresolved trauma / mental health issues.

But what happns if a RF member effectively says "stuff you, we'll do what we want" - because with the increasing reports of no palace consultation that's the way it's beginning to look?

Then they'll just be rich people doing stuff rather than royals doing royal engagements

If the Queen decides as such then they'll have no official engagements and perhaps no titles

It would be interesting to see what the media here did if that was the case. They might not get any positive coverage from the British media if they were more keen to keep the royal family onside.

On their funding, my understanding was that they only get a small % from the sovereign grant and most of it comes from Charles's Duchy of Cornwall. If so, surely the question of their future finances hinges on what Charles chooses to do (and then William, once his father is king)

It'll be down to Charles to decide how much to give them now and when he's King (from Cornwall now and Lancaster when he's Monarch). They won't be William's responsibility until he is King