Harry and megan

[medsec222]

I hope we hear some further details soon regarding the Sussexes stepping back from their Royal duties and how this is all going to play out. What started off as a badly handled announcement has just gone from bad to worse. There seems to be so much bad feeling in the country that I have strong doubts that either of them will set foot in the UK once they have both left.

To be honest my feeling is that the Duchess quickly found that playing a secondary role to William and Kate, and the numerous royal engagements that she would be expected to perform, would not live up to the excitement of being a celebrity. I don't wish to be unkind but I think she quickly realised that the freedom to do as she pleased, plus the Royal titles, would soon become a nice little earner.

[Workingman]

Oh dear, Meds, nail on head!

The truth is that they cannot be 'Royal' and also have the freedom to do 'celebrity' and also be 'independent' as well.

There is also, apparently, a backlash from Canadians who do not want to pay for their security. They are either 'Royal' in which case their security is down the UK they no longer wish to be an official part of or they are private and independent individuals in which case their security is down to them.

I'm with the Canucks.

The 'Sussex Royal' brand, which is copyrighted, is said to be worth £500m. Just how much do these leeches expect a Brit on 'living wage' to chip in to maintain their lifestyle and security?

[cromwell]

Meghan got to have a major part in a TV hit. She wasn't born to money or influence.
This suggests that she is driven and ambitious and yes, maybe a little hard. Maybe she had to be.
But I can't see a person like that finding a fulfilling role in the Royal Family.
Handing out prizes at some worthy event isn't quite her style I would imagine.
So what has happened was probably always going to happen.
Harry fell hard for someone who was never going to fit in. Whether he'll be as smitten with Meghan in a few years, or she with him, only time will tell.

[TheOstrich]

Another interesting aspect is that Megan was supposed to be on the "pathway" to become a British citizen and get a British passport. But to become a British citizen, there are certain criteria you have to fulfill, and one of them apparently is to actively be a UK resident for a qualifying period. And that she will not fulfill if she goes ahead with that 6 months here, 6 months there plan.

So will the Establishment bend the rules for her? They'd bleddy well better not …..

The best way to put a spanner in the works of this "Sussex Royal brand" angle is simply to strip them of their HRHs. I think the Queen will not sanction that, but I guess many ordinary folk might take a different view.

[jenniren]

Definitely nail on the head Medsec.

I can't remember who, but I remember someone in the media saying this won't last, she's a bolter and it seems they were right. Very sad for Harry, he's smitten now, but I think she will tire of him when she feels rich and famous enough not to need him. The whole thing is a mess and I feel dreadfully sorry for the Queen. He's her grandson and of course she loves him, but even she recognises the public won't stomach funding them and neither it seems will the Canadians.

[medsec222]

Interestingly the front page of the Daily Mail has an article regarding staff being 'let go' from their jobs at Frogmore Cottage. What a waste of taxpayers money. Words fail me.

[Workingman]

So, their Royal Leeches are going to lose Royal funds as they drop their HRH titles, but they are still going to be the Duck and Duckess of Sucksex and live a happy life off those titles - £500m+... overseas.

And with the money we gift to them they are going to pay back the refurb costs of the property we own, Frogmore, but will still live there rent free for part of the year for tax purposes, of course.

Anyone want to bet who will be paying for their (security) protection post their 'retirement' from Royal life? Mine is that it will not be the newly private and independent Harry and Meghanses themselves, it will be us mugs.

[TheOstrich]

Well, they have "lost" the HRHs and they have said they will pay back the £2.4m for Frogmore Cottage. I was not expecting either of those outcomes, to be honest, so I believe it's a pretty good start.

I think over the coming years they will become increasingly marginalised in popularity - and certainly the tabloids will continue to give them a hard time. They will get their bucks but they will lose their status and respect in this country, especially now the race card has been played. Be interesting to see if the Canadians are a bit more open to them now they've lost the HRHs, because apparently - constitutionally - that was quite a sticking point in Ottawa for some reason.

As for the protection angle, well, Andrew is no longer carrying out Royal duties - and it has been said that the Met are going to withdraw the close protection officer assigned to him. The Met's Royal Protection budget is said to be spiralling out of control, so I don't think it's necessarily a given that the Sussexes will continue to receive the benefits of it.

[cromwell]

I can't see them stopping in Canada. If they don't set up shop in California before too long I'll be amazed.
If they come back here occasionally it will probably be for Wimbledon and Ascot in the summer.