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Is this the biggest scandal since the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana? We think so!
It’s been less than a week since the Sussexes made the announcement: Harry and Meghan are no longer senior royals. This is easily the biggest news of 2020, and it’s only mid-January. We know Justin Bieber has a new album, and there is an award season going on, but leave it up to the British Royals to make everything about themselves. Let’s see what was reported in the press, and what’s realistic and truthful.
First, Prince Harry cannot give up his title; he cannot just lose it. It’s his birthright. For the Duchess of Sussex, things are more complicated, since she’s still not a British citizen. But, she gave birth to the seventh to the British throne, so their titles aren’t going anywhere.
Regarding the funding: this is the most irritating part of the statement, if you ask anyone from the UK. The two aren’t going to live without using public money, via Prince Charles’ Duchy. They cannot just lose their security, leave everything behind, and walk into the sunset. Any deal between the Queen and the Sussexes is not final. Things will change and progress as William’s kids get older, but at this moment, they are still working royals. In lesser capacity, and with more focus on private deals and Commonwealth.
Now, what’s that thing about personal deals and royalties not being able to accept gifts? Meghan and Harry want to make financial deals outside the royal family. Hence, the mess. They also want to break free from the royal rota, aka royals reporters. It means taking control over their lives, so what’s the big deal? If you are already working, you cannot get any additional funding from the public (or public related) purse. The Sussex Royal website does provide honest info on their financial sources, so this isn’t news. They’re planning to be completely free in the future. And that’s what’s confusing.
Next, we have the curious case of two brothers. The princes confirmed the rift, but it’s hard to say when it all started, or why. They lost their mom too early, and the press, and the royal PR, kept the image of two brothers, who are also besties, for a long time. But they are two adults, with different goals, paths, and personalities, so no matter what we hear now, even from William and Harry, it doesn’t have to be a complete truth.
There’s one thing the Duchess of Sussex said in the interview for ITV, that was strange and controversial. Again, it involves the British press and tabloids. The tabloid culture is not something that the Brits came up with. The US press can be vicious and vindictive, even worse than in other countries. Meghan and Harry will be in the spotlight for the rest of their lives, and trying to control the press will drive them mad, sort of speak.
Who is leaking what, when, where, why? This is the entertaining part of this otherwise sad story. The palace sources talk a lot, but there’s no way to tell if people are selling fabrications, or they were told to say something on behalf of someone in the royal family. This is, essentially, a PR war: Harry and Meghan want to make the rest of the royals look bad, to get their freedom. The royal family cannot give them everything they want, because it will make them look weak and unpopular.
On the other hand, they’ll be accused of being heartless and, yes, racist. Both PR parties are working hard, and it’s going to get even messier. The best thing to do is to take everything with a grain of salt. William is a bad brother, husband, and father. Harry isn’t under Meghan’s spell. It’s a game of extraordinarily public and ugly chess, and so far, no one will be able to come out of this as a winner.
The most significant leverage the Sussex Royal has is Prince Andrew. No one has any idea how to deal with that situation (putting it mildly), and there’s no rule book on how to deal with part-time royals. No matter how one sees the Queen, she’s a mother, a grandmother, and she has a lot on her plate, especially for being 93. Prince Charles isn’t as respected as his mother or either of his sons. Overall, it’s ugly, messy, yet we cannot stop watching it. These people belong among the most influential families in the world, and this looks more like a season of the Survivor. Or Game of Thrones. We’ll do our best to keep things balanced and inform you without biased opinions.
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