Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan made waves Wednesday with an historic announcement that they would “step back” from their roles as senior members of the British royal family.
The royals said they intend to “work to become financially independent while continuing to “fully support” his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. . “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” their statement said.
But what does that mean? We’re answering all your burning questions about what could be next for the couple shaking things up in the royal family.
Why are Harry and Meghan ‘stepping back’?
They haven’t voiced exactly why. But the decision comes after the couple’s vocal frustration with British media coverage of their family, including lawsuits against three British tabloids for alleged mistreatment, including copyright infringement, invasion of privacy and phone hacking.
In October, Prince Harry, 35, and Duchess Meghan, 38, appeared in ITV’s documentary, “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” and opened up about their struggles coping with overwhelming and often critical media coverage. Harry also voiced his lingering resentment over how his mother, Princess Diana, was treated by the media before her 1997 death.
Meghan, who at one point in the interview teared up, said she had tried and failed to acquire a traditional British “stiff upper lip” and regrets discounting her British friends’ warnings and her own underestimation of British tabloids’ zeal.
“I never thought that this (media scrutiny) would be easy, but I thought it would be fair. And that’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile,” she said.
What does Queen Elizabeth II have to say about Harry and Meghan’s decision?
About an hour after their announcement, another palace announcement, sent in an email from the office of the private secretary and the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth II, landed in media inboxes. It suggested fraught times ahead.
“Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage,” the statement said carefully. “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
The 93-year-old monarch moved Thursday to take control of the situation. Britain’s national news agency, Press Association, reported that the queen had ordered officials representing the monarch, Charles, Prince William, and Harry and Meghan to meet and find “workable solutions” within “days not weeks.”
Harry and Meghan wish Kate a happy birthday via Instagram after their decision to step back
What does ‘stepping back’ as a senior royal entail?
The use of the term “stepping back” is the same phrase that was used by Prince Andrew in November when he announced he had gotten permission from the queen to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” amid scandal over his involvement with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Harry and Meghan haven’t gotten into specifics on what their scaled-back roles will look like, though they still plan to focus on charity endeavors.
And the move doesn’t mean they stop being royal. Harry is sixth in line for the throne and that doesn’t end with his announcement.
They also announced they’ll break another longtime tradition and no longer participate in the palace’s “Royal Rota” system of inviting long-standing U.K. outlets to report exclusively on their activities. Their new media policy will invite a wider array of “credible media outlets focused on objective” and “appropriate” coverage. They noted in a pointed message that they “value privacy as individuals and as a family.”
“The Duke and Duchess believe in a free, strong and open media industry, which upholds accuracy and fosters inclusivity, diversity and tolerance,” the new Sussex Royal website states.
What does it mean to be financially independent?
The Duke and Duchess say they’re parting ways with the Sovereign Grant, money from British taxpayers that supports the queen and senior royals for public duties, that makes up 5% of the Sussex office’s total costs.
What will apparently continue: Money from Harry’s father, Prince Charles, who has supported their private life and the other 95% of their office. And Meghan made plenty of money as an actress on “Suits,” while Harry inherited a considerable amount of money from his mother which has likely grown since 1997.
The couple also recently made headlines for publishing a trademark for their “Sussex Royal” brand, a move that could theoretically pave the way for Harry and Meghan merchandise. It could simply be a measure to block others from producing unofficial knockoff products, but it also gives the royals ample room to create branded items themselves.
The trademark covers a myriad of goods and services, including books, magazines, posters, apparel, charity campaigns, fundraisers, classes, training, sporting activities and counseling services.
What are Harry and Meghan thinking? They don’t want to be ‘senior royals’ anymore?
Where will Prince Harry and Meghan live?
We don’t know yet. All their release said was they plan to split their time between the U.K. and North America. By North America, they could mean Canada or the U.S. (They’re not likely to choose Mexico, also part of North America.) There are pros and cons to either country for the pair. Or, they could choose to spend time in both.
While in the U.K., Harry, Meghan and baby Archie will still use Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Castle estate as their official residence, though it will continue to be property of the queen, according to the Sussex website.
When it comes to potential North American locations, Harry and Meghan have ties to both Los Angeles and Canada. L.A. is where Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, lives. Canada, in addition to being one of the largest of the U.K.’s 53 Commonwealth nations, is where the Duchess spent seven years living in Toronto while acting on the TV show “Suits.” Canada is also where the Sussexes spent time off over the holiday break.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity,” the couple’s statement said.
Duchess Meghan’s dad, celebrities and fans express shock over her, Harry’s ‘major’ step back
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, The Associated Press
