Harry and Meghan: A royal showdown

London, Jan 13: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stunned their fans world-wide by announcing their stepping down as the senior members of the royal family. The couple with a baby son, Archie, said that they are intended to "work to become financially independent" and want to relocate their time in North America and Canada. The more surprising fact is that reportedly the royal couple had not consulted with any senior members of the royal family before making the big announcement on Wednesday, January 8.

According to the source from Buckingham Palace, the royal family on Monday afternoon at Sandringham to gather to discuss the request of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step down as senior royals. The queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke of Sussex are expected to attend the meet and the Duchess of Sussex is likely to attend by phone.

Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018 and the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It has been a tradition of the Royals that the queen to give a dukedom title to male members of the royal family upon marriage. Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, were too given the title of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Harry and Meghan very before their marriage triggered controversy by their tendency to buck the traditions of the royals.

The Announcement

The couple's announcement was "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year is starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. 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.

"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. 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."

What really happened

The Sussexes have been questioned many a time what their role would be in the future. It is understood that both of them wanted to make a change. Recently, a photo of Her Majesty was released with the Queen and her three heirs, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George (Prince William's son). Not including Harry in the photo sent a message that the monarch with her three heirs would continue the practice of giving the titles as per the Buckingham rule.

(Image Courtesy @theroyalfamily Instagram)

What are the reactions

Harry and Meghan with their 10 million Instagram and Twitter followers have been welcomed by their stepping down decision. While some of the fans supported the decision calling it firm, others appreciated the couple as a modernizing force that can bring a new relevance to the 1,000-year-old monarchy. Taking their side the fans said the couple did not get the support when they became the subjects of negative media reports and when the US-born the duchess of Sussex became the target of racism. Fans believe the royal family has treated Meghan as meanly as they treated Harry's mother, Princess Diana.
There is other side also when some people are there who hoped that British taxpayers should be no longer fund their housing, staff or travel. Also, some were having a theory that said that Meghan was to be blamed for the reported breakdown in relations between Harry and his brother, and the rest of the family.

Their supposedly next plan

The couple has plans to launch a new charitable entity which is expected to be global in reach and to focus on the US and Africa. Prince Harry is known for his love for Africa as he described the place "where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world" while Meghan expressed her desire to be with the deprived teenage girls of parts of South Africa.
The younger heir might have gone against the palace rule, but according to the sources, no one from the family wants to be resentful or punish Harry. The family wants to stand beside its 'loved boy' and supports him.