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.
Citi recently began collaborating with fitness entrepreneur Tracy Anderson to promote its Custom Cash Credit card. Pam Habner, CEO of U.S. Branded Cards for Citi, along with Tracy Anderson, creator of The Tracy Anderson Method, joined Cheddar to discuss how health and fitness matched up with a cash back credit card. "The fact that Citi is going 'hey if you lead a healthy lifestyle, we're going to help you out. We understand that it's more expensive and we're going to give you cash back for living your best life,'" Anderson said about the partnership, which also includes a custom promotional Spotify playlist.
Low-code app development platform Crowdbotics raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Jackson Square Ventures. Crowdbotics has helped more than 14,000 customers launch apps without having to learn how to code. The company can offer a team of expert developers to help companies launch custom apps, or provide the means for companies to develop apps themselves. Crowdbotics CEO Anand Kulkarni joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims has doubled its valuation to $3.2 billion. Investors have taken a bet on the success of this brand in the form of fresh funds for the two-year-old company.
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Wednesday marked two years since the basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash. In remembrance, a bronze statue has been temporarily placed at the site with all of the passenger's names included on the memorial.
