LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, said they are planning “to step back” as senior members of the royal family, a stunning revelation that underscores the wish of the couple to forge a new path for the royals in the modern world.
A statement issued by Buckingham Palace said Wednesday the royal couple intend to become financially independent, shunning public support, to underpin their work on charities. It said they intend to “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America, where the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex grew up.
“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," the couple said in a statement. “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."
Harry, 35, is a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is sixth in line to the British throne.
Before marrying Harry in 2018, the duchess was the American actress known as Meghan Markle and a star of the TV show “Suits.” The royal couple has a baby son Archie, who was born in May 2019.
<i>Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa on September 25, 2019. / Photo Credit: Shutterstock</i>
Although as an actress and human rights advocate the duchess was accustomed to media attention before her marriage, she has made no secret of the fact that the transition to the level of celebrity faced by Britain's royal family was difficult.
Last year, Harry lashed out at the British media for its treatment of his wife, accusing the media of hounding her the way they did his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash while trying to elude paparazzi.
"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces," Harry said in the fall.
On International Women's Day, we should not only focus on the women who came before us but but also the women doing the work today for a better tomorrow. Ms. James, also known as @iamthatenglishteacher on TikTok, is an Arkansas teacher who took her talents to the video-sharing app to expand her classroom from four walls to the world! She joins Cheddar News to discuss her love for teaching.
Two friends have joined forces to come up with an app dedicated to making mental health more approachable and to provide users with the tools needed to improve their mental health and overall well-being. Co-Founders of the Dial App Jonah Salita and Marcel Johnson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu and Smile Train CEO Susie Schaefer join Cheddar News to talk about how Smile Train continues to support those with a cleft lip this International Women's Day.
On this International Women’s Day, Deb Cupp, president of Microsoft U.S., joined Cheddar News to talk about the implementation of her pillars to extend the company's culture, such as acting with care and putting the team first. "What I like about the pillars is they're very simple, so it's easy for us to think about how they show up every day in our lives," Cupp said.
Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization for Women, joins Cheddar Reveals to take a look at where the women's rights movement stands today and where it's headed.
Steven Spielberg has spoken out against the Motion Picture Academy’s decision to move the presentation of eight categories to the pre-show off-air for this year’s Oscars. "We should all have a seat at the supper table together, live at five," said the Academy Award-winning director, who is also nominated for two statues at this year's event.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Sally Roesch Wagner, Historian & Executive Director, The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, discusses how the early women's rights movement evolved and the hidden influence of Native American women on early American feminists.; Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization for Women, takes a look at where the women's rights movement stands today and where it's headed; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Ascent of Woman.'
Sally Roesch Wagner, Historian & Executive Director, The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss how the early women's rights movement evolved and the hidden influence of Native American women on early American feminists.
