Prince Harry and Meghan Markle negotiate a new role for themselves in Britain’s Royal Family
I’m Jeff; JR is the producer; and this is episode number 228 of Plain English. You can find the video lesson, translations, fast audio, and flash cards for this episode at PlainEnglish.com/228.
On today’s episode, a shakeup in the Royal Family, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to step back from their official duties and work toward having a more private, independent life in Canada and the US. Later on in the episode, we’ll about the phrasal verb “work out” and we have quote of week.
New role for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will no longer be “working members” of the British Royal Family and will step back from their official duties. In a statement on Instagram, the couple said that they will be “stepping back” from their formal roles as members of the Royal Family and would work to become financially independent. They said they wanted to carve out a “progressive new role” for themselves.
They said they would divide their time between North America and the United Kingdom; it is widely assumed that North America means living Canada, where Meghan worked as an actress before marrying Prince Harry. They will keep vacation homes in Los Angeles and in the UK.
The statement took the rest of the Royal Family by surprise. Buckingham Palace scrambled to assemble as response to the statement, saying immediately afterward that there would be a transition period and that many things were still to be settled. The Queen later held a meeting with herself, her son, and two grandsons to hash out the details of the transition, which the British press immediately took to calling “Megxit,” since everyone assumed that Meghan was behind the move. Shortly after releasing the statement, Meghan left Britain with their son Archie, while Prince Harry stayed back to work things out with the Queen and her aides.
The public statement on Instagram did not appear to be coordinated with the staff at Buckingham Palace, but the general idea was known ahead of time. The couple has done their part as representatives of the queen, visiting shelters, supporting charities, attending events, and meeting veterans in the UK and in Commonwealth countries like New Zealand. They went on a tour of Africa. Still, Meghan had a career as an actress before her marriage. Harry has always had a bit of an independent streak.
And in a documentary, Meghan told an interviewer that being part of the Royal Family isn’t what it seems. She implied that she felt she had to just survive public scrutiny and the sacrifices required of her, saying that the point of life is to thrive and be happy—not just survive an ordeal with a stiff upper lip. The couple spent seven months in Canada; they skipped the traditional Christmas in England in favor of spending the holiday at their rented home on Vancouver Island.
Prince Harry is the Queen’s grandson; his father, Prince Charles, is second-in-line to the throne. When Queen Elizabeth II dies, therefore, Harry’s father, Prince Charles, will be King. Behind him in the line of succession is Prince William, Harry’s brother, followed by Prince William’s three sons. In the line of succession, therefore, Prince Harry is behind his father, his brother, and his brother’s three kids; in other words, it’s highly unlikely that he would be King.
They would therefore always be supporting members of the cast—never in real power, but always required to follow strict protocol, under constant scrutiny. So it appears that Prince Harry and his wife decided on a different life for themselves and son Archie.
That different life is going to be complicated. Their current lifestyle is funded almost entirely by Prince Charles. The Royal Family receives financial support from the British government, but they also have large estates, mostly in land, accumulated over centuries that provide them with a private income. It’s not clear how they’ll become “financially independent.” They’ll be free to make whatever commercial deals they want for income. They’ve talked about running a foundation and have trademarked the name “Sussex Royal” for things like socks and greeting cards.
Security for members of the Royal Family is paid for by the British government, when they are in Britain, and by the destination government when they are in Commonwealth countries like Canada and Australia. It’s not clear yet whether they’ll benefit from government-funded security while in Canada.
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