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szdaily -> Special Report -> 
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step back as ‘senior’ royals
    2020-01-10  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

BRITAIN’S Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will step back as senior members of the royal family and spend more time in North America, the couple said in a shock announcement Wednesday.

The surprise news follows a turbulent year for the monarchy, with signs that the couple have increasingly struggled with the pressures of royal life and family rifts.

“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” they said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” they added. “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America.”

Hours later, Buckingham Palace issued a second statement, hinting that the first had caught some in the royal household by surprise. The statement said discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “at an early stage.”

“We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,’’ it read.

What constitutes a senior royal is not officially defined, although it is generally considered to be one who is close to the throne and continually carries out duties on behalf of the crown.

Harry and Meghan’s marriage has been blighted by rows over their spending — and their desperate attempt at privacy — as they even refused to release where their son, Archie, was born, and who his godparents are.

But critics lambasted them as they continued to accept money from the British taxpayers.

“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 royal couple said in their Wednesday statement.

“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent Christmas in Canada after speaking of the pressure of being in the spotlight following their fairytale wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018 and son Archie’s birth in May.

They had previously announced they would miss Christmas with Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royal family, choosing to spend it instead with the duchess’ mother, Doria Ragland.

In a documentary filmed in South Africa in October, the pair said they were unhappy — and Harry admitted that he had had a falling out with his older brother, Prince William.

Although they were dubbed the “Fab Four,” William, wife Kate Middleton and Harry and Meghan split their royal foundation last year.

Harry, who is sixth in line to the throne, said that he and William were on “different paths” and admitted tension in their relationship.

“We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly,” he said in an ITV television interview.

Meghan also admitted that it had been a “struggle” becoming a mother while living under an intense media spotlight. There are rumors of a feud with William’s wife Kate, and she said her British friends had warned her not to marry Harry.

“The British tabloids will destroy your life,” she said they told her.

Asked in the ITV interview if she was “not really OK” and life had “really been a struggle,” she replied simply: “Yes.”

In December 2018, Kensington Palace took the uncharacteristic step of issuing a denial that Kate and Meghan had an “explosive row” before Meghan and Harry’s wedding that involved Kate telling her future sister-in-law not to make demands of her staff. “This never happened,” the palace stated.

Harry and Meghan recently launched legal action against British tabloid The Mail on Sunday for alleged invasion of privacy over a letter from the duchess to her father. It came with a stinging statement from Harry about general tabloid coverage. Harry is also suing two newspaper groups over alleged voicemail interception, or phone hacking.

Asked if Meghan was facing the same media pressures as Diana, Harry replied: “I have a family to protect. I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mom.”

Insiders previously claimed that William warned Harry that he may have been moving too fast with Meghan, leading to a feud between the Cambridge and Sussex couples.

A previous news report claimed that Prince William wants Harry and Meghan “as far away as possible.”

William reportedly wanted them to go overseas and ensure that he and Kate stay in the spotlight.

Some insiders claimed that Kensington Palace considered sending Harry and Markle to Canada or Australia.

The couple reportedly have previously considered work in Africa. Harry and Meghan thought about making Canada their home, a source reveals in the October issue of Us Weekly.

For now, Harry and Meghan are enjoying raising Archie in the quaint countryside where Frogmore Cottage is located, instead of bustling London.

Harry and Markle were reportedly moving to their newly renovated Frogmore Cottage to ensure their privacy, but insiders claim that the couple were actually pushed there by the rest of the royals.

“They sent them down to Frogmore to try to keep them out of the limelight for a bit,” a source said.

“There are discussions in palace circles about how do we harness Harry and Meghan and this tremendous global attention they get. How do we draw them back, because laying down the law and ticking them off doesn’t work at all,” the source added.

Kensington Palace didn’t deny the rumors of sending the Sussex royals abroad, but said in a previous statement that “any future plans for the Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles.”

However, some sources deny any feud at all between any of the parties allegedly involved. “I do not believe that William and Harry are growing apart,” Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell said. “They may have differences, as they are two very different personalities, [but] I think that her life bond was forged at the time of their mother’s death and they are inseparable.”

Meghan met her prince in July 2016 when a mutual friend set them up on a blind date and their care for privacy started from the very beginning.

They dated in secret before Harry issued a rare public statement in November 2016 in which he confirmed their relationship and warned the press against harassing his then-girlfriend.

Meghan, for her part, is especially relishing the quiet life. Meghan was a rarity in Hollywood: a star who has managed to become both beloved by fans and yet so under the radar that it’s hard to find tabloid fodder on her. It’s how they had been able to initially keep their relationship private in the face of global scrutiny of anything having to do with the royal family.

“We had to sort of reverse the whole process and [have] cozy nights in, in front of the television, cooking dinner with just the two of us by ourselves in our little cottage rather going out for dinner and being seen in public,” Harry said of their dating life.

“So we, we reversed the whole process. ... It’s provided different opportunities. And has made us a hell of a lot closer in a short space of time.”(SD-Agencies)

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