Queen Elizabeth finally released a statement regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s stunning exit. After an emergency meeting with the couple, Her Majesty announced that she is “entirely supportive” of their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family. The statement is confirmation that Harry and Meghan intend to follow through with their plans, but royal watchers believe that Queen Elizabeth dropped a subtle hint that the pair might lose their titles over #Megxit.
Queen Elizabeth releases statement
Taking to Instagram, Harry and Meghan explained how they no
longer want to be considered senior royals. They also revealed that they want
to live in Canada for part of the year and want to be financially independent
from the crown.
The announcement reportedly blindsided Queen Elizabeth, who had no idea they were planning on leaving. In a desperate bid to keep things together, Her Majesty reportedly held an emergency meeting in Sandringham with Harry, Prince Charles, and Prince William.
BREAKING: Queen Elizabeth II released a statement following a family meeting with Meghan Markle and princes Harry, Charles and William on Monday. https://t.co/HOKq0ckvQD
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) January 13, 2020
After the meeting, Queen Elizabeth released a statement regarding Harry and Meghan’s announcement. The statement was the first time the royals had officially reacted to the news.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the
future of my grandson and his family,” Queen Elizabeth shared. “My family and I
are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a
royal family.”
Queen Elizabeth went on to say that she would have liked for
Harry and Meghan to remain senior members of the family. She also revealed that
additional details about the couple’s plans would be forthcoming.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lose their titles?
What is interesting about Queen Elizabeth’s statement is
that it does not refer to Harry and Meghan as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
According to Page
Six, Queen Elizabeth usually refers to members of the royal family by their
titles, especially in official discourse.
Royal expert Russell Meyers believes that the omission was a
subtle hint that Harry and Meghan will be giving up their titles if they go
through with their plan.
“What is most remarkable about this statement, perhaps, is
the Queen referring to them as ‘Harry and Meghan’ and not by their royal
titles. Could be a big clue for the future,” Meyers stated.
Queen Elizabeth has given her blessing to grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s wish for a more independent future, following crisis talks involving the Queen, Harry, his father Prince Charles and his older brother William https://t.co/U8ekWmeETe pic.twitter.com/6j7q43faEN
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 14, 2020
That said, other experts, such as Robert Lacey, believe that Harry and Meghan will likely keep their royal titles. In fact, Queen Elizabeth did not refer to them as Duke or Duchess, but she did call them the Sussexes at one point.
Lacey added that the royals will likely do the same thing when
Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson in 1936. Although he gave up his
right to the throne, Edward retained his title as the Duke of Windsor.
Inside the #Megxit summit
Prior to Queen Elizabeth’s announcement, Her Majesty met
with Charles, William, and Harry at her estate in Sandringham.
Harry reportedly arrived at the meeting early and enjoyed
lunch with Queen Elizabeth a little before noon. Charles also joined them for
lunch, though William did not arrive until right before the meeting started.
Sources say Harry was heartbroken by the decision but had
little choice in the matter. Meghan allegedly told him that living under the
royal spotlight was not working and that things needed to change.
Prince Philip was not present for the meeting. He was reportedly too angry to meet with Harry and was spotted driving away from the property that morning.
Based on Queen Elizabeth’s statement, it is evident that
Harry and Meghan are serious about leaving the royal family. Exactly how they
fund their exit, however, may be met with even more backlash.
Will taxpayers fund Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit?
Security is one of the big question marks in Harry and
Markle’s plan to live in Canada. Early reports suggested that the couple would
fit the bill for a security team, but it now appears as though Canada will
paying for it.
Sources claim that Justin Trudeau has promised Queen Elizabeth that Harry, Meghan, and their son, Archie Harrison, will be kept safe in Canada. This includes tasking the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in protecting the family.
If that happens, then taxpayers in Canada would be fitting
Harry and Meghan’s security bill. Early estimates have put the security costs
at well over $1 million a year, which is not sitting well with Canadians.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not commented on the
reports surrounding their exit, or Queen Elizabeth’s statement. Meghan recently
flew back to Canada with Archie while Harry met with the royals.
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