Harry and Meghan give up royal titles: 5 questions their decision poses
Epilogue of recent days which have shaken the United Kingdom, the now ex-Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced this Saturday to withdraw from the British monarchy. Explanations.
End of crisis and consummate rupture. After ten slightly crazy days across the Channel, during which the British saw their royal family tear themselves apart with statements and hushed statements, but tear themselves apart all the same, Harry and Meghan announced on Saturday that they were giving up their royal titles.
Predictable epilogue of this painful sequence for Queen Elizabeth II, who had already mentioned a year 2019 "strewn with pitfalls" in her Christmas address and no doubt expected a less eventful start to 2020.
The decision of the princely couple will be a milestone in the history of the British monarchy and raises several questions about the future more royal daily life, therefore, but probably not trivial for all that, of Harry and Meghan who have decided to go live in Canada.
Is this decision irreversible?
Yes. The statement released by Buckingham on Saturday evening leaves little room for doubt: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their title of royal highness as they are no longer active members of the royal family », Specifies the palace. "They will no longer fulfill royal obligations" and "can no longer formally represent the queen", adds the text.
"It is an abdication", did not hesitate to affirm the expert in protocol of the royal family Alastair Bruce, questioned by the Sun on Sunday, noting that Harry thus finds himself demoted to the same rank as thirty others British dukes.
What happens to their titles?
The question is unprecedented, because it is the first time in history that British royalty has found itself in such a situation: a member of the Windsor family by birth who is deprived of this status.
Before Harry, who was until then "only" sixth in the order of succession to the British throne, his mother Lady Diana had certainly also lost this status, after having divorced Prince Charles in 1996. Like Sarah Ferguson, when she separated from Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son. But these were "honorary titles" obtained through marriage.
During his abdication in 1936, King Edward VIII, who wanted to marry a divorced American, had renounced the throne but not his title, seeing himself simply demoted from "His Majesty the King" to "His Royal Majesty the Duke of Windsor" . Regarding Harry and Meghan, they are now "only" Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The loss of all other titles is thus recorded.
What status for their son Archie?
Only 8 months old, Archie Mountbatten-Sussex (ex-Windsor, therefore), has just seen his royal destiny change. His future within royalty was in any case dotted as he had little chance of reigning one day. His father, Harry, being so far sixth in the order of succession to the throne, Archie was therefore only seventh….
