Thing is, you can't be a little bit royal. You're either part of the family firm or you aren't. It's about time Harry and Meghan made their minds up, in or out.
Note the reaction from Buckingham Palace to the recent announcement by the pair: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/118673807/prince-harry-and-meghan-stepping-back-as-senior-members-of-the-royal-family I like the phrase "these are complicated issues." That's an understatement if ever there was one. Here are a few issues;
Who is going to pick up the cost of security when in the US?
Is Harry actually resigning, he's still in the top 6, an important position within the line of succession. It's once out of the top 6 that things change. If he is resigning, does he keep his titles?
Financial independence: Harry inherited a small fortune from his mother Diana, why is he not already financially independent, he's had long enough to manage that much.
Does Harry know anything about living in the USA, can he even open a cheque account? Reports say he's going to be based in Canada, given their head of state is the Queen, doesn't this look a bit like remaining shackled to the Crown? Hmm?
Branding: will Meghan use her royal status to make money for herself. What are the boundaries, and if she does so, will she have to pay royalties to the Crown?
For their own explanation of what this 'new funding model' means, Harry and Meghan have launched a new website, read the relevant part here: https://sussexroyal.com/funding/
What do I think? It looks rather dodgy to me. Implied is that when they visit or cut a ribbon, they'll be attaching their invoice. That's quite improper and quite frankly, they shouldn't be able to maintain their status. They're simply becoming ordinary celebrities and that's all, just Harry and Meghan under this proposed 'structure.'
I also note they claim they're not currently funded by public money. Technically correct but that's not how the people see it, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Sovereign Grant etc from which the couple are funded, all of it is public money. My reaction to reading their website was 'get off the grass.'
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