Prince Harry Just Answered One of the Biggest Questions Posed by Fans Amid Royal Exit
Amid Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s decision to step back from the royal family, several questions have been posed by royal fans. Perhaps one of the biggest questions has been whether Harry is still in line to the throne.
Although the assumption has been that he will remain in the line of succession despite leaving his royal duties behind, the couple directly answered the question in an announcement on Wednesday.
“As the grandson of Her Majesty and second son of The Prince of Wales, Prince Harry remains sixth in the line of succession, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status in the Order of Precedence is unchanged,” a spokesperson for the couple said.
They also clarified the use of their titles going forward.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will formally retain their ‘HRH’ styles, but they will not actively use them. They will continue to be known as The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as by their titles of The Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and The Baron and Baroness Kilkeel,” the statement continued.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Doug Peters/EMPICS/PA
The agreement reached between the Queen and the couple last month will be put into effect starting March 31. Starting April 1, Harry and Meghan will no longer hold an office at Buckingham Palace and will instead be represented by their U.K. charity foundation team.
“The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America,” the spokesperson adds. “In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Rosa Woods/Getty
“In general, the themes of their cause related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively.”
A review is still set to follow after 12 months, at which point the royal family will revisit the agreement.
“As there is no precedent for this new model of working and eventual financial independence, the Royal Family and The Sussexes have agreed to an initial 12-month review to ensure the arrangement works for all parties,” the spokesperson says.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/POOL/AFP via Getty
“As The Duke and Duchess are stepping back as senior Members of the Royal Family, and will work towards financial independence, use of the word ‘Royal’, in this context, needed to be reviewed. Discussions are still ongoing, however, a change will be announced alongside the launch of their new non-profit organization,” their spokesperson says.
While the discussions continue, it reportedly appears likely that they will not use the word “royal.”
Canada will 'cease' paying for part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security costs
Canada will stop contributing to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security costs “in the coming weeks,” a government spokesman has said.
Canada has been paying some of the costs for the duke and duchess since last October.
A statement given to Yahoo News U.K. from the Office of the Minister of Public Safety in Canada read: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex choosing to relocate to Canada on a part-time basis presented our government with a unique and unprecedented set of circumstances.
“The RCMP has been engaged with officials in the U.K. from the very beginning regarding security considerations. As the duke and duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis.
“At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the duke and duchess to Canada intermittently since October 2019. The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status.”
The couple spent the Christmas holiday in Canada with son Archie. (Photo: Getty Images)
arry and Meghan spent an extended break on Vancouver Island over Christmas, with their son Archie.
They returned to the U.K. in January and thanked representatives at Canada House for their nation’s hospitality.
But it was shortly after the visit that they made the shock announcement that they wanted to step back from royal duties, saying they would carve their own path.
Over the weekend, it was confirmed that their last day of senior royal duties would be March 31.
In a statement on their website, they did not give any details on how their future security would be funded.
Part of the statement on the Sussex Royal website said: “It is agreed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son. This is based on the duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into the royal family, his military service, the duchess’s own independent profile and the shared threat and risk level documented specifically over the last few years.
“No further details can be shared as this is classified information for safety reasons.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously said he and his country were supportive of the Sussexes living there, but that there was an “ongoing discussion” about who would pick up the security bill.
He added: “I think most Canadians are very supportive of having the royals be here, but how that looks and what kind of costs are involved, there are still lots of discussions to have.
“There are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the royal family, by the Sussexes themselves, as to what level of engagement they choose to have.
“We are obviously supportive of their reflections but have responsibilities in that as well.”
Prince Harry returned to the U.K. this week ahead of his final round of royal duties.
He spoke at a conference in Edinburgh for his sustainable travel brand Travalyst, and was introduced by Ayesha Hazarika who said: “He’s asked we just call him Harry.”
Meghan is likely to return to the U.K. early next week when she has engagements. She and Harry will attend the Endeavour Fund awards together on March 5.
She will mark International Women’s Day on March 8, but there are no details about what event she will attend.
The couple will step back from duties on March 31, meaning from April 1 they will not be funded by the Crown.
They had been thought to be preparing to set up a foundation under the name Sussex Royal, but have confirmed they won’t be using the word “royal” in any territory, owing to its limitations in the U.K.
The duke and duchess announced their intention to set up a nonprofit organization instead of a foundation. A spokesman for the couple previously said they would be focusing on the same issues after royal life as while they were as senior members of the family.
Do you think Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made the right decision to reduce their royal roles?
You can select up to 2
Yes — the negative press wasn't worth it.
No — they are letting down the royals.
I don't like them either way.
