Tag: Meghan Markle

  • Harry and Meghan make final split with British royal family

    Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have made a final split with the British royal family, telling Queen Elizabeth that they will not be returning as working members of monarchy, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

    According to Reuters, Harry and Meghan sent shockwaves through the monarchy in January 2020 by suddenly announcing they were splitting from the family and embarking on a new future across the Atlantic – one of the most extraordinary royal exits in decades.

    That split has now been formalised after discussions with the 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth: Harry and Meghan will lose their treasured royal patronages which revert to the queen and will be distributed among other family members.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family,” the Palace said.

    “While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

    The split amounts to an abdication from the royal family whose senior members such as the queen have long prioritised duty and service above personal wishes.

    The pair, who said they would remained committed to their service to Britain, will break their silence on the royal split — cast by British newspapers as “Megxit” — in an interview with Oprah Winfrey next month.

    When they announced their intention to carve out a “progressive new role” away from stifling media intrusion in 2020, they said they wanted to become financially independent but also honour their duties to the queen and their official patronages of charities and organisations close to their hearts.

    Those patronages have now gone. Queen Elizabeth, whose 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, is currently in hospital in London, took a firm line.

    “The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” the Palace said.

    The pair will lose their associations with The Royal Marines, RAF Honington, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving as well as with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, The Rugby Football Union, The Rugby Football League, and The Royal National Theatre.

    Through a spokesman, Harry and Meghan said that they remained committed to service.

    “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal, the spokesman said.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.”

    Meanwhile, their decision may have left many displeased but the one person in the family who understood their need to step back was Princess Anne.

    Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, moved with their son Archie to Southern California to live a more independent life and escape the British media. They announced on Sunday that they were expecting their second child.

    Harry is the second son of Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and his first wife Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Harry and Meghan are expecting their first child. The couple shared this news on Valentine’s Day.

  • Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘overjoyed to be expecting their second child’

    Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘overjoyed to be expecting their second child’

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their second child, their spokesman told British media in a Valentine’s Day announcement on Sunday. The child will be eighth in the line to the British throne.

    The couple released a black and white image of them under a tree, all smiles, with Markle, 39, showing signs of pregnancy. The photo was reportedly taken remotely via iPad by their friend and longtime photographer, Misan Harriman.

    “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother,” the spokesman said, referring to the couple’s son. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.”

    The couple’s announcement on Valentine’s Day was a nod to Princess Diana, who 37 years ago on the same day, had announced that she was pregnant with Prince Harry.

    Meghan and Harry, 36, who is Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson, quit frontline royal duties in March last year and now live in California.

    The news follows Markle’s disclosure in The New York Times in November that she had suffered a miscarriage in July.

    A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the entire family are delighted and wish them well.”

    The couple’s departure last year — dubbed ‘Megxit‘ by the British press — was a far cry from 2018 when they married in a ceremony at Windsor Castle watched around the world.

    The mood soured as reports circulated about a rift between Harry and his brother Prince William, second in line to the throne.

    Since leaving, they have launched several legal cases against news outlets alleging invasion of privacy — including one that ended on Thursday with a victory against Associated Newspapers in the UK.

    The cases have attracted criticism from some, as the couple are also launching themselves into the public eye with high-profile commercial projects.

    Last year they launched a non-profit organisation, Archewell, after giving up a “Sussex Royal” brand as part of the terms of their departure from frontline royal duties.

    They have started other ventures, including signing a deal with Spotify to produce podcasts that tell “uplifting and entertaining stories”. The couple also signed a contract, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars with streaming giant Netflix to produce “impactful” films and series.

    Read more – Archie speaks publicly for the first time on Meghan, Harry’s first podcast

    Harry and Meghan’s announcement came days after Princess Eugenie, a granddaughter of the queen, gave birth to a baby boy.

  • Archie speaks publicly for the first time on Meghan, Harry’s first podcast

    Archie speaks publicly for the first time on Meghan, Harry’s first podcast

    Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Tuesday thanked essential workers and offered encouragement to people who suffered during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in their first podcast released on Spotify.

    Harry and Meghan, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hosted the episode and introduced reflections and hopes for the new year from singer Elton John, producer and actor Tyler Perry, tennis champion Naomi Osaka and other celebrities, artists and authors.

    During the 33-minute episode, the couple thanked healthcare and frontline workers and others who made sacrifices during a challenging year.

    “From us, I’ll say no matter what life throws at you guys, trust us when we say, love wins,” Meghan said.

    “Love always wins,” Harry added.

    The episode ended with a surprise appearance by the couple’s 19-month-old son, Archie. With guidance from his parents, Archie said: “Happy … New … Year!”

    Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties in January and moved with Archie to Southern California to live a more independent life and escape the hostile British media. The pair made no mention of their move in the podcast.

    Read more – PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    In September, the couple signed a multi-year production deal for TV programming with Netflix Inc, followed by a multi-year agreement to produce and host podcasts for Spotify.

  • Meghan Markle reveals she had a miscarriage in July

    Meghan Markle reveals she had a miscarriage in July

    Meghan Markle has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in July this year.

    In an opinion piece penned for the New York Times, Meghan opened up about the deep grief and loss she endured with her husband Prince Harry.

    The Duchess of Sussex, who married the British prince in 2018, had the couple’s first child, Archie, the following year.

    In the piece titled The Losses We Share, Meghan wrote that she had just changed her son’s diaper when she felt a sharp cramp and fell to the ground.

    “After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” wrote Markle.

    “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she added.

    Meghan described how she and her husband were both in tears as she lay in a hospital bed later.

    “Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand,” wrote the Duchess. “I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”

    “Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she continued. “In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning.”

    The intimate details shared in the article are at odds with the usual policy of senior members of the British royal family, who reveal almost nothing about their personal lives.

    Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, has never discussed her private life in any media article or interview in her 68-year reign. However, reports have stated that Harry had discussed the article with the royal family beforehand.

    Meghan and Harry married in May 2018 in a glittering ceremony televised around the world. In January this year, the couple shocked the British establishment when they announced they were retiring from royal life. Their withdrawal came after reports she was deeply unhappy with life inside the royal family and fed up with media intrusion.

    The couple, who live with their young son, in California, signed an exclusive deal with the streaming giant Netflix for an undisclosed fee earlier this year. They have set up a non-profit organisation to promote education, mental health and well-being.

  • Harry, Meghan urge Commonwealth to ‘acknowledge’ uncomfortable colonial past

    Harry, Meghan urge Commonwealth to ‘acknowledge’ uncomfortable colonial past

    Prince Harry has urged the Commonwealth, which his grandmother heads, to acknowledge its uncomfortable colonial past, in video extracts published on Monday.

    The 35-year-old royal and his wife, Meghan, joined a video conference call with leaders organised by the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) from their base in the United States.

    The sessions were set up in response to the growing Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during a US police arrest.

    Harry last week outlined his personal commitment to tackling institutional racism, saying it had “no place” in society but was still too widespread.

    On the July 1 call, posted on the QCT website, he said: “When you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past. So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do.”

    “It’s not going to be easy and in some cases it’s not going to be comfortable, but it needs to be done, because, guess what, everybody benefits.”

    Meanwhile, Markle said: “We’re going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now because it’s only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find the place where a high tide raises all ships.

    “Equality does not put anyone on the back foot, it puts us all on the same footing, which is a fundamental human right,” she added.

    Read more – PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Commonwealth, a non-political organisation of 54 countries, most of which have links to the British Empire. Pakistan is also part of the Commonwealth. It comprises of 2.4 billion people — a quarter of the world’s population — of which 60 percent are aged under 30.

    The QCT was set up to give younger people from member nations a platform to share ideas and insights. The couple is president and vice-president respectively of the QCT.

    The chief executive of the QCT, Nicola Brentnall, has said the body is studying how the Commonwealth’s colonial past and its legacy should shape its future.

    Harry and Meghan stepped down from frontline royal duties this year and have set up a non-profit organisation focusing on the promoting of mental health, education and well-being.

  • Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ can’t have Prince Harry – report

    Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ can’t have Prince Harry – report

    Prince Harry doesn’t want Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ to cover his life and has said that he will stop the production of the series before they cover his life. According to the Daily Express, Royal biographer Angela Levin revealed that Harry had told her about his plans when she had met him at Buckingham Palace.

    “Well Harry, when I went to interview him at the palace, the first thing he said to me when he shook my hand was ‘Are you watching The Crown?’… “And I had been at the time and I felt very embarrassed,” she added.

    “I got up and he said, ‘I’m going to make sure I stop it before they get to me,” she said.

    Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and son Archie are no longer working members of the Royal Family

    There are rumours that Netflix would be interested in working with Harry and Meghan. According to The Daily Mail, when Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarando was asked if they would be interested in working with the couple, he said, “Who wouldn’t be interested?”

    READ MORE: Ahmed Ali Butt criticises Meghan, Harry for their decision to ‘step back’ from royal duties

    On the other hand, there are also reports that Netflix will not be covering present day royals. According to The Sun, Suzanne Mackie the executive producer of ‘The Crown’ said it’s unlikely it will ever cover today’s royals. She said: “To be honest, whatever the life of The Crown is after where we are now, I doubt we’ll ever go as far into the present day.”

    The Crown is currently chronicling Prince Charles life, who is Harry’s father

    ‘The Crown’ is a Netflix series that chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II and is in it’s third season.

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have given up their royal titles to live an independent life in Canada. Latest pictures show Meghan hiking with baby Archie and Harry recently attended an event where he said that he was ‘sad‘ about the way things turned out.

    Meghan Markle, all smiles as she hikes in Canada with her son and dogs
    Harry returns to Canada after two weeks of being in England for the last of his royal engagements
  • Prince Harry is ‘sad’ over the end of his royal role

    Prince Harry is ‘sad’ over the end of his royal role

    Britain’s Prince Harry expressed his sadness at being forced to give up his royal duties in a deal with Queen Elizabeth and senior Windsors that will see him and Meghan exit official roles to seek an independent future.

    Buckingham Palace and the queen announced on Saturday that Harry and Meghan would no longer be working members of Britain’s monarchy, no longer use their “Royal Highness” titles and would now pay their own way in life, freeing them to forge new careers.

    In a speech to the Sentebale charity on Sunday, a clearly upset Harry said the final outcome was not what he and Meghan had wanted.

    “Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations without public funding. Sadly that wasn’t possible,” the prince, the sixth-in-line to the throne, said.

    “I’ve accepted this knowing it doesn’t change who I am, or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step back from all I have ever known to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.”

    Under the arrangement, Harry will remain a prince and the couple will keep their titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they begin a new life split between Britain and North America where they will spend the majority of their time. But they will not take part in any future ceremonial events or royal tours.

    Royal commentators said it amounted to an “abdication” from the “firm” — as the royals are known — and showed that, under the warm words in which she said Harry and Meghan were much loved, the queen had taken a firm and decisive line by insisting on a clean break.

    “It brings me great sadness that it has come to this,” said Harry. He said the decision to step back had followed months of talks and had not been a decision he had come to lightly. They were not walking away, he explained.

    “As far as this goes, there really was no other option,” he added.

    He told the audience at the charity he founded to help children with HIV in Africa that he wanted them to hear the truth from him “not as a Prince, or a Duke, but as Harry, the same person that many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years but with a clearer perspective”.

    “The UK is my home and a place that I love. That will never change,” he said.

    Meghan is currently in Canada with their son Archie and Harry is expected to join her soon.

    The couple’s plans for independence, announced after a long break over the Christmas period in Canada, caught the rest of the royal family by surprise earlier this month and left the queen and other senior members hurt and disappointed, according to royal sources.

    Buckingham Palace have said the couple would no longer receive public money and that they would repay the cost of refurbishing their cottage in Windsor, which official figures show amounted to $3.1 million.

    But certain details, such as their future security arrangements or whether the couple could continue to use the “Sussex Royal” title for their website and branding, have either not been finalised or publicly revealed.

  • PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was a close friend of Lady Diana and has strong ties with the United Kingdom, said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were young and had a right to live their life as they wished.

    In a wide-ranging interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), when the PM was asked about his thoughts on the matter [Megxit], he replied, “You know what, I have so many issues in Pakistan to deal with. It doesn’t seem to be a huge issue to me. I think, it’s their life. If that’s how they want to lead it, then why should people interfere?”

    When probed further and asked if he thought Diana would have understood their decision, PM Khan responded, “I guess so. Frankly, I haven’t really looked into it deeply. I think they are a young couple who want to lead their own life, so it’s up to them.”

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on January 8 had announced that they intend to divide their time between North America and the UK to carve out a “progressive new role” and step back from their senior positions.

    After much deliberation and reports of a royal tiff, the Queen gave the couple her blessings and allowed them to split their time between Canada and Britain during a “transition period” in which the family will figure out how to deal with their shock resignation from front-line royal duties.

    “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” the 93-year-old queen had said in a statement.

    Earlier, PM Imran’s former wife and mother of his two sons Jemima Goldsmith had also extended her support to Meghan and said that she understood “what it’s like to marry a national hero from another country and be attacked by the media for your ethnicity.”

    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1217469320105791488?s=20
  • Hugh Grant takes a stand in favour of Prince Harry and Meghan

    Hugh Grant takes a stand in favour of Prince Harry and Meghan

    British actor Hugh Grant has defended Prince Harry’s right to “protect his family”.

    “I am rather on Harry’s side,” said Grant in a radio interview.

    “The tabloid press effectively murdered his mother, now they’re tearing his wife to pieces,” he continued, referencing to Princess Diana’s 1997 death, in which her vehicle was pursued by paparazzi. “I think as a man, it’s his job to protect his family, so I am with him.”

    Earlier Jemima Goldsmith had also extended her support to the Sussex’s.

    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1217469320105791488?s=20

  • Queen approves of Megxit for now

    Queen approves of Megxit for now

    Queen Elizabeth II on Monday allowed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to split their time between Canada and Britain during a “transition period” in which the family will figure out how to deal with their shock resignation from front-line royal duties.

    The monarch said she held “very constructive” talks between Harry and his older brother Prince William and their father Prince Charles aimed at charting a course through the fallout of the bombshell announcement.

    Meghan reportedly joined the conversation by phone from Canada after abruptly jetting out of Britain last week.

    The Sussex’s resignation last Wednesday came after a year filled with rumours of infighting between the brothers and reports of Meghan feeling unwelcome in the highly traditional and structured royal family.

    “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” the 93-year-old queen said in a statement after the first day of meetings at her Sandringham estate in eastern England.

    Harry and Meghan said they wanted to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution” — a statement that some read as a slight at the way the royal family has been run under Britain’s beloved monarch.

    The monarch stressed the couple told her “they do not want to be reliant on public funds” but did not address the issue of whether they would keep their royal titles.

    Harry and Meghan are formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Five percent of their income comes from public funds. The rest comes from Prince Charles’ Duchy of Cornwall heredity private estate. It dates back to 1337 and has officially reported assets worth £1.1 billion ($1.4 billion).

    However, the queen elaborated there were still “complex matters” for the family to sort out.

    “It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK,” she said.

    According to British media, Charles was furious at Harry for making the announcement without winning the queen’s consent and had left the meeting early.

    Debates over Harry and Meghan’s future have divided British public opinion and dominated newspaper front pages for days. According to a poll, 46 percent of respondents supported their decision, while 57 percent thought they were unfair to the Queen.

    While their official plan is to continue to “fully support” the queen and honour their duties to the Commonwealth and their patronages, they want to make 2020 a transition year to carve out their new role and launch their new Sussex Royal charitable entity and seek to raise their own sources of income.

    They also want to keep their newly-renovated Frogmore Cottage home on the queen’s Windsor Castle estate as their British base.

    Meghan likes to vacation in Canada and is currently there with Archie.

    But the Daily Mail said “her real dream” was to settle alongside other celebrities in Los Angeles – “but not while President Donald Trump is in charge”, it added. Meghan and Trump are not particularly known to like each other. In wake of the Sussex’s decision, Trump commented that the couple was being unfair to the Queen.