Early last year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their intention to take a step back from their official duties as part of the Royal Family. Now after a 12-month review, Buckingham Palace has cemented that decision with an official statement. On February 19, 2021, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed that the couple’s honorary military titles, appointments, and royal patronages will be returned to her to be redistributed among other members of the Royal Family.
The couple will also be relinquishing their roles as President and Vice President of the Queen’s Commonwealth trust. Though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer be considered working royals, they will still retain their royal titles and keep their HRH styles, for the time being.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will still formally be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, and the Baron and Baroness of Kilkeel. Prince Harry is to carry on his work with the Invictus Games and the Sentebale Charity.
Meghan will continue to act as a patron of the Mayhew Animal Welfare charity and Smart Works. In a joint statement, the pair confirmed that they remained committed to their duty and service to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. They assured the organizations they represented of their continued support. Despite being officially removed from their former patronages, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on March 7. It will be their first interview since they decided to disengage from their royal duties. Just a few hours before that interview, Queen Elizabeth II is expected to make a televised address to celebrate the Commonwealth. She will be broadcasting her message on BBC 1 since the annual Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey was canceled this year due to safety concerns brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Image Credit: FiledIMAGE / Shutterstock.com