As Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Exit, Here¡¯s Why Everybody Is Curious About Royal Split
"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. I've accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am," Prince Harry said.
Britain¡¯s Prince Harry has said "there really was no other option" for him and his wife Meghan to step back from being a senior royal even as he expressed "great sadness" for them being stripped of their royal titles.
In his first public comments after the royal split, the Duke of Sussex on Sunday said, when he and Meghan were married they were "excited", "hopeful" and "were here to serve", the BBC reported.
"For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this," Harry said at a fund-raising event here for Sentebale, a charity which he co-founded to help children living with HIV in Africa.
"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. I've accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am," he said.
He gave an extraordinary speech at Sentebale event, a charity where he started humanitarian work.. Hats off to you, #PrinceHarry ?? pic.twitter.com/ll7uZ35JaI
¡ª Beng ? (@benglevy1969) January 20, 2020
Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, have signed up to a formal exit deal from the royal family, which will see them forsake their His and Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles and will no longer receive UK taxpayers' funding for their duties, the Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Saturday night.
The deal, which comes into effect by spring in a few weeks' time, means the couple will no longer be representing the Queen in an official capacity.
Harry said "there really was no other option" for him and Meghan to step back from being a senior royal and they have taken "a leap of faith" in doing so.
"We are taking a leap of faith...thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step," he said.
However, the prince said he wanted to make it clear that he and Meghan were "not walking away", the CNN reported.
Prince Harry arrives at UK-Africa Investment Summit in London today. He has several bilateral meetings today. #SussexRoyal pic.twitter.com/LZuNhvEr1l
¡ª ? Sussex Nation ? (@SussexNation) January 20, 2020
"I was born into this life and it is a great honour to serve my country and the Queen," he said.
"The UK is my home and a place that I love, that will never change," Harry added.
The UK royal crisis began on January 8 when Harry and Meghan's announced quitting their front-line roles to focus on the "next chapter", stunning the monarchy and drawing sharp criticism from the British media which has been reporting of a widening rift within the Royal family.
In an extraordinary statement released on the night of January 8, the couple announced plans to step back from their current roles and split their time between the UK and North America with their son Archie.
On January 13, after face-to-face talks with her grandson and senior members of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II agreed to offer Harry and Meghan a "period of transition" during which the couple can divide their time between the UK and Canada.
Three things about this powerful statement by Prince Harry. He really hates the media. He talks about ¡°his¡± decision not ¡°our decision¡±. And he says that he wanted more than anything to stop taking public money, and that forced him to give up royal duties, because for some... pic.twitter.com/HI2dYQQ9rS
¡ª Robert Peston (@Peston) January 19, 2020
On Saturday last week, the Buckingham Palace in a statement said, "The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family."
The Queen said the agreement was a "constructive and supportive" way forward for her grandson and his family.
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved members of my family," the 93-year-old monarch's personal statement read.
"I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life," she says, thanking the couple for their work for UK and across the Commonwealth.
¡°I also know you have come to know me well enough over all these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same value as I do. And, she does, she is the same woman I fell in love with.¡± -Prince Harry
¡ª TV Fanatic??? (@Khaleesi_Hodan) January 19, 2020
The way this man loves and supports Meghan...A husband. pic.twitter.com/9Ur2iEOj6Z
In a special message for Meghan, she said: "I am... particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life".
The palace confirmed that the couple were required to withdraw from royal duties, including official military appointments.
The Duchess of Sussex's father, Thomas Markle, has branded Harry and Meghan's decision to split from the royal family 'disappointing' and 'embarrassing', and described their new status as 'like Walmart, with a crown on'https://t.co/Hq4YVCb5KU pic.twitter.com/g9zrzYOFvX
¡ª ITV News (@itvnews) January 19, 2020
"While they can no longer formally represent the Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty," the palace said.
It added that the pair would continue to maintain their private patronages and associations.
The couple intend to repay 2.4 million pounds of UK taxpayer money for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home as they split their time between Britain and Canada.
Prince Harry: The decision I have made for my wife and I???pic.twitter.com/16uIZpuBFi
¡ª TV Fanatic??? (@Khaleesi_Hodan) January 19, 2020
The palace has declined to comment on security arrangements and who would foot that bill for the couple in future, an issue that has been at the centre of much of the debate since they announced their decision to step back as senior royals earlier this month.
Harry and Meghan have issued their own update on their official Sussex Royal website, which has been updated to remove references to the HRH titles on the opening page.
I don¡¯t know why everyone keeps saying Meghan Markle is a clout-chasing, gold digger
¡ª Rogan O¡¯Handley ?? (@DC_Draino) January 14, 2020
It¡¯s not like she was a C-level actress that entrapped a Prince with a kid, split the Royal Family, used Harry to get her a Disney movie role, and made him leave the UK so she can pursue acting
"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.
"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 statement on their website reads.
Here are some options that await Prince Harry and Meghan after royal split https://t.co/iacqgegX1M pic.twitter.com/j6cl39gFwE
¡ª The Morning Show (@morningshowca) January 19, 2020
Meghan is already in Canada with the couple's eight-month-old son Archie and some reports indicate she may fly back briefly for some pending royal engagements until the new agreement formally kicks in on an unspecified date in spring - which begins towards the end of March in the UK.
Why exactly has #MeghanMarkle's company moved it's HQ to Delaware ahead of the #royalsplit in Spring?https://t.co/1gN2At4q84 pic.twitter.com/8vCCH5FrAv
¡ª Daily Express (@Daily_Express) January 19, 2020
Really!! so Megan has so much power, that she can split a strong family such as the Royals apart..pathetic... pic.twitter.com/Wv2wu5X7no
¡ª chez (@chezann911) January 18, 2020
Meanwhile, Prince Harry will continue to perform royal duties until that time, which includes at a summit for African leaders in London on Monday.
