Prince Harry, 35, and his loving wife, Duchess Meghan, 38, made headlines Wednesday when they announced that they would “step back” from their respective roles as senior members of the royal family.
The British royals stated
that they plan to work in order to become financially independent even while
they continue to support Queen Elizabeth II. The statement (paraphrased)
declared, “We plan to balance our time between North America and the
United Kingdom, and we will not shirk our duties of honoring The Queen, the
Commonwealth, as well as our patronages.”
But
is there any hidden meaning to these words?
Why Harry and Meghan are “Stepping Back”
No one knows precisely why the
royal couple chooses to follow this path or why they even decided to “step
back” in the first instance. But this decision to step away as senior
members of the British royal family may not be unconnected with the vocal
frustration of the couple over British media coverage. This includes copyright
infringement, phone hacking, lawsuits against at least 3 British tabloids for
supposed mistreatment, and invasion of privacy.
Back in October, Prince Harry
and Duchess Meghan appeared in a documentary where
they opened up about their struggles as royal couples and coping with critical
– and often – overwhelming media coverage. The Prince even expressed his
resentment over how Princess Diana, his mother, was treated by the British
media before she passed away in 1997.
Duchess Meghan even teared up
at one point during the interview, stating how she has tried and failed
woefully to acquire the traditional British fortitude and stoicism in the face
of adversity. According to her, she deeply regrets brushing aside her British
friends’ warnings as well as her underestimation of the zeal of British tabloids.
The Duchess said, “I
never thought that this media scrutiny would be very easy. But then I thought
it would, at least be very fair. And that is the part that is difficult to come
to terms with.”
Queen Elizabeth II: What Does
She Have to Say About MegXit?
Roughly an hour after the
young royal couple announced their intentions and plans, an email from the
office of the private secretary – and spokesperson for the Queen – landed in
media inboxes, bearing another palace announcement.
The statement reads
(paraphrased), “Discussions with both The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are
still at an early stage. We understand their utmost desire to take a different
approach, but these are complicated issues that will time to work
through.”
On Thursday, the 93-year-old
monarch made some moves to take control of the entire situation. According to Press Association, Britain’s
national news agency, the Queen had given strict orders to her officials as
well as those representing Prince William, Charles, Harry, and Meghan not only
to meet but find what was referred to as “workable solutions.”
And the solutions must be
found within days, not weeks as ordered by the Queen.
