The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Transition & Future

[carlota]

yes. the fact that they want their royal foundation, speaker engagements, etc suggests to me that they don't have any intention of leading a more private life. if they did want a private life, they aren't short of money and could do that tomorrow. what they really want is the fame and the glory of their title and position but in their own terms whilst also the money and the press interest that comes with any appearances or work they undertake.

and yes, the time commitment of 18 months is hardly impressive. thank godness meghan understood what her new role in the BRF meant when she got engaged (as they spoke during their engagement interview), otherwise it would have been more like 6 months!

 

[Juno]

both are too old to have not taken such a huge step seriously and look deeply into what it meant. When Meghan said yes to the ring she said yes to his lifestyle and family; that she is jumping ship on the commitment she made to the BRF says something. I completely understand why a rift has apparently been forming between Harry and other people.

Both are also old enough enough to make their own decisions and choose to do what they believe is best for their family. Ultimately, when Meghan married Harry, she made a vow to HIM as he to her.

I am not sure how Meghan's job as a royal was "compromising one’s health, including mental”...But if she had been willing to ignore the press and just focussed on her work, IMO, she would have been fine.

I am not sure either. Like you, I don’t know the exact reasons they left, but stepping back from Senior Royal duties was what they chose.

 

[Durham]

I cant help thnking that if the big issue was the Press and a feelng that she was unhappy because not popular/not appreciated.. then she and Harry WOULD want to lead a quiet private life and would not have been talking about a charity foundation or earning hteir own income. THey aren't short of money... and IMO if they really wanted to lead a quiet life, they would live on what they have and some help from Charles.. they would NOT want to do public speaking etc. They could always do small scale charity work like normal people do, go to a centre for homeless people and volunteer, help with raising money in a small way, enjoy their freedom from public duties and be with tehir children etc. THey could lead a worthwhile life as private citizens..

Absolutely. They have the choice & the means to live their lives exactly like this. Many people in Britain would wholeheartedly respect that & wish them the very best.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Both are also old enough enough to make their own decisions and choose to do what they believe is best for their family. Ultimately, when Meghan married Harry, she made a vow to HIM as he to her.

You already know the answer to this statement, others have already pointed out that saying yes to Harry was saying yes to the BRF as well.

I don't doubt that Meghan could have stuck around only a year to cement herself on the Alist so she can now start being around other A listers, apparently she is cultivating relationships and meetings with Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and the Obama's.

 

[Juno]

I cant help thnking that if the big issue was the Press and a feelng that she was unhappy because not popular/not appreciated.. then she and Harry WOULD want to lead a quiet private life and would not have been talking about a charity foundation or earning hteir own income. THey aren't short of money... and IMO if they really wanted to lead a quiet life, they would live on what they have and some help from Charles.. they would NOT want to do public speaking etc. They could always do small scale charity work like normal people do, go to a centre for homeless people and volunteer, help with raising money in a small way, enjoy their freedom from public duties and be with tehir children etc. THey could lead a worthwhile life as private citizens..

I don’t think their issue with the press was that they weren’t more popular...They made it very clear that still intend to do charity and humanitarian work. Both have actually shown that this is important to them, and in my imo, they are good at it. I don’t know what you mean by “normal” people, but right now they have the popularity and platform to make a larger impact. And that’s a good thing; the more people they can help, the better. Even if one doesn’t agree with Harry and Meghan’s decision, I don’t understand the reasoning that they should only do charity in a “small” way. Why just help with “raising money in a small way” when they have the ability to do so much more and can positively impact more lives for the better?

You already know the answer to this statement, others have already pointed out that saying yes to Harry was saying yes to the BRF as well.

Well, obviously she said yes to Harry, and they both said no to the BRF, at least as Senior Royals, so no, saying yes to Harry, isn’t saying yes to the BRF as well.

You already know the answer to this statement, others have already pointed out that saying yes to Harry was saying yes to the BRF as well.

I don't doubt that Meghan could have stuck around only a year to cement herself on the Alist so she can now start being around other A listers, apparently she is cultivating relationships and meetings with Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and the Obama's.

The rumors that they are hanging around with Jennifer Lopez , Alex Rodriguez, etc... came from the press. This is exactly what I’m talking about. The press report it, and people believe it. Jennifer Lopez supposedly wasn’t even in Miami when H and M were.

 

[Denville]

Well, obviously she said yes to Harry, and they both said no to the BRF, at least as Senior Royals, so no, saying yes to Harry, isn’t saying yes to the BRF as well.

but they said yes to the BRF in terms of accepting the role of working royals, with particular coverage of the commonwealth. If they didn't like the idea of being working royals - if they wanted more freedom to choose their own charities or what sort of work they wanted, the time to say "no" to the RF was back when they got married.

 

[Juno]

but they said yes to the BRF in terms of accepting the role of working royals, with particular coverage of the commonwealth. If they didn't like the idea of being working royals - if they wanted more freedom to choose their own charities or what sort of work they wanted, the time to say "no" to the RF was back when they got married.

I don’t disagree, but it’s kind of a moot point because they didn’t say “no” when they got married to the BRF, they said “no” now, and no one knows the reason except the people involved. Of course we can speculate- they were unhappy, she never intended on staying, family discord, etc... but it’s all speculation. The fact is they left, so they have to focus on the future. Personally, I want them to have a successful foundation if it can be beneficial to people.

 

[Denville]

I don’t think their issue with the press was that they weren’t more popular... They made it very clear that still intend to do charity and humanitarian work. Both have actually shown that this is important to them, and in my imo, they are good at it. I don’t know what you mean by “normal” people, but right now they have the popularity and platform to make a larger impact. And that’s a good thing; the more people they can help, the better. Even if one doesn’t agree with Harry and Meghan’s decision, I don’t understand the reasoning that they should only do charity in a “small” way. Why just help with “raising money in a small way” when they have the ability to do so much more and can positively impact more lives for the better?

...And if they can do good as private citizens, why set up a charity foundation? I would say that one would get more satsiffaction out of smaller scale work wehre they can engage with people, which Harry is good at.. than a Foundation which will be a diffrerent ball game. IMO there are too many foudnations competing for donations and I would have said that a wealthy couple who were leading a quiet life, would have lots of free time to give to something more hands on, which I would have thougt that Harry would find more satisfying.

 

[ACO]

...And if they can do good as private citizens, why set up a charity foundation? I would say that one would get more satsiffaction out of smaller scale work wehre they can engage with people, which Harry is good at.. than a Foundation which will be a diffrerent ball game. IMO there are too many foudnations competing for donations and I would have said that a wealthy couple who were leading a quiet life, would have lots of free time to give to something more hands on, which I would have thougt that Harry would find more satisfying.

Why not have one? It has been in motion it seems for a while. It was their plan and seems to be their passion project. Just because that is your assumption doesn't make it so. They could do small and big projects. That is very much up their alley it seems. It is very possible to do both. They already were doing both.

I do wonder how long they will be in the UK next month. The claim is a few engagements but it seems March will be the end of their position as full time royals.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

but they said yes to the BRF in terms of accepting the role of working royals, with particular coverage of the commonwealth. If they didn't like the idea of being working royals - if they wanted more freedom to choose their own charities or what sort of work they wanted, the time to say "no" to the RF was back when they got married.

They also said yes when they had a public royal wedding on the public dime. Plus they said in the interview that they were ready to work and serve the British public then they throw in the towel in only a year!

 

[QueenMathilde]

I don't think all of this will be the end of the monarchy. William or Charles quitting would but not the second in line to the throne.

 

[Osipi]

The second in line to the throne right now is William. Charles is the heir apparent and George is third in line. I get your meaning though. The monarchy has gone through many upheavals before this and will endure as long as the people deem it relevant. Throughout the history of the UK, there have been goings and comings and changes in the royal family and the way they do things or don't do them.

This is what makes British royal watching so interesting for me. Harry and Meghan remain members of the British Royal Family and in that respect, it fits right into my royal watching interest.

 

[QueenMathilde]

I think unless they are desperate for money they would have done better to lie low for a few months. If they don't do anything to report on then the media has no choice but to move on to the next topic.

 

[Lilyflo]

So the UK press has definitely played a part in adding to H&M's stress & desire to take more control of their lives but we know it's not just that. There's also the restrictions of life as a working royal that Harry might be able to cope with as he's used to it but would probably feel frustrating to an independent, successful woman in her 30s, used to planning, organising & directing her own agenda.

 

[Alison H]

I think that’s a much more valid point than all the moaning about the media. Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas have both pretty much said that they ended their relationships with Prince Harry because they felt unable to cope with the demands of royal life, not because things weren’t working out on a personal level. Even going back nearly 100 years, the then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who as an earl’s daughter in the 1920s wouldn’t have been doing any work other than charity work anyway, had reservations about marrying into the Royal Family for those reasons. Sophie carried on with her job after her marriage, but that didn’t work out. I don’t know what the answer is … but it’s definitely something that needs addressing, because it’s going to make it difficult for the next generation of senior royals to find partners, when the time comes.

 

[Denville]

So the UK press has definitely played a part in adding to H&M's stress & desire to take more control of their lives but we know it's not just that. There's also the restrictions of life as a working royal that Harry might be able to cope with as he's used to it but would probably feel frustrating to an independent, successful woman in her 30s, used to planning, organising & directing her own agenda.

Everyone in the public eye has wrong things printed about them... or gets negative press. And all members of the working BRF have restrictions on their lives that are hard to put up with, but they put up with them because they are committed to the job and they know that they are offset by a lot of wealth and privilege that other people don't have. I thought that Meghan might find it hard to adjust to having her life organised and having certain resrtrictiions on what she could do.. but if she wanted to marry H and be a working royal that was something she had to accept and put up with. and I assumed that she realised this and was willing to accept the varius limitiations, not that she would taek it on for a year and then leave it

 

[Lilyflo]

And all members of the working BRF have restrictions on their lives that are hard to put up with, but they put up with them because they are committed to the job and they know that they are offset by a lot of wealth and privilege that other people don't have. I thought that Meghan might find it hard to adjust to having her life organised and having certain resrtrictiions on what she could do.. but if she wanted to marry H and be a working royal that was something she had to accept and put up with. and I assumed that she realised this and was willing to accept the varius limitiations, not that she would taek it on for a year and then leave it

Yes they do all put up with restrictions but they have to and as you say, it's offset by immense privilege. I don't think anyone can know in advance what this would feel like but it is part of the role that you have to accept and work through. If the restrictions are the main reason for them quitting then IMO they haven't given it long enough. Or maybe they realised that no matter how long they gave it, they would never be able to control their own agenda for achieving their philanthropic goals.

 

[Denville]

Yes they do but not at the scale & frequency experienced by H&M. It has been relentless bullying & I don't know how anyone could cope with such a toxic deluge. I know I couldn't & we also know that this kind bullying has caused mental health problems for people.

Yes they do all put up with restrictions but they have to and as you say, it's offset by immense privilege. I don't think anyone can know in advance what this would feel like but it is part of the role that you have to accept and work through. If the restrictions are the main reason for them quitting then IMO they haven't given it long enough. Or maybe they realised that no matter how long they gave it, they would never be able to control their own agenda for achieving their philanthropic goals.

well no, of course they wouldnt be able to control their own agenda. They were working as Royals, not independent philanthropists, and Harry at least must have known what the restrictions were. I feel that Meghan does seem to have come into the RF and Britain without any clear idea what it was like.. and I wonder if Harry really laid it out for her.

 

[American Observer7]

Harry and Meghan were NOT stripped of their HRH titles nor did they relinquish them. They just are not using them. There is a difference. Why is the media saying differently?

Unless I am missing something?

 

[Denville]

Harry and Meghan were NOT stripped of their HRH titles nor did they relinquish them. They just are not using them. There is a difference. Why is the media saying differently?

Unless I am missing something?

Its just the simplest way of putting it. They have been debarred by the queen from using the HRH in their business life.. so it isn't really a voluntary relinquishment on their part. I don't suppose they want to be seen as HRH the Duke and Duchess in Canada, as it appears that titles are not liked there... so in effect they're not likely to be using them, except if they come back to the UK.

 

[Denville]

Never liked H much but I feel that since he married Meghan, he has changed.. to the point where he seems to have nothing in common with the guy he used to be.. or at least seemed to be. I don't know whether she has encouraged him to get into this rather flashy yoga doing and latest health kick following, sort of life... and that if she were to drop it all herself, he would drop it...
I wasn't all that fond of younger Harry but I liked him better than the present incarnation.

 

[Alison H]

Maybe it was all too much, too quickly. Meghan gave up her job, moved to another country, moved in with her boyfriend, had a very public falling out with her dad, got married, became part of the most famous family in the world, moved house, had a baby, all within the space of ... what, 18 months? That's an awful lot for anyone to cope with. And now moved to another new country, to start another new life. With hindsight, maybe they'd have done better to lie low for a while after they got married ... but hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it's easy for someone else to say.

 

[BaiSoSo]

Maybe it was all too much, too quickly. Meghan gave up her job, moved to another country, moved in with her boyfriend, had a very public falling out with her dad, got married, became part of the most famous family in the world, moved house, had a baby, all within the space of ... what, 18 months? That's an awful lot for anyone to cope with. And now moved to another new country, to start another new life. With hindsight, maybe they'd have done better to lie low for a while after they got married ... but hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it's easy for someone else to say.

The thing is that Meghan didn't seem to have a problem with the work part of being a royal...she seemed to thrive on it already having 3 solo projects and 3 successful tours in that 18 months. It was the outside forces...that made the couple want to make changes.

As for people worrying about Harry moving to a new country...he is an adult not a fragile little kid anymore. He has friends around the world as Meghan so they still have support systems...heck even the Vancouver community is protective of them. Besides, it wasn't like he saw his family very often, considering he had to make appointments to see his grandmother/father.

 

[Fijiro]

... when you have to make an appointment to see your grandmother ....

 

[wyevale]

when you have to make an appointment to see your grandmother ....

That's not so very unusual..I have to make an appointment to see my Parents - they're BUSY people, and their Social life is busier than mine !

 

[Lilyflo]

... when you have to make an appointment to see your grandmother ....

... because visiting without an appointment means finding her not at home or entertaining guests or in a meeting or presenting a medal...

 

[poppy7]

... when you have to make an appointment to see your grandmother ....

We all do that with everyone we don't live with. We just don't call it appointments.

 

[Betsypaige]

Never liked H much but I feel that since he married Meghan, he has changed.. to the point where he seems to have nothing in common with the guy he used to be.. or at least seemed to be. I don't know whether she has encouraged him to get into this rather flashy yoga doing and latest health kick following, sort of life... and that if she were to drop it all herself, he would drop it...
I wasn't all that fond of younger Harry but I liked him better than the present incarnation.

It says something that Harry has dropped so many of his friends........

 

[Denville]

It says something that Harry has dropped so many of his friends........

has he dropped his friends?

 

[Mbruno]

has he dropped his friends?

I don’t know if he dropped his friends, but most of them live in the UK. Since Harry is now living mostly in Canada, I think it is safe to say that at least he distanced himself from his friends and doesn’t see them quite as often.