It’s been one year since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprise Instagram announcement of them stepping away from the British royal family. Less than a week after the couple announced that they are expecting their second child, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the couple will officially not be returning to their royal roles. On top of that, Prince Harry and Meghan surprised royal watchers last week with another unexpected announcement: they have signed on for a 90-minute “tell-all” interview with Oprah Winfrey, set to air on CBS in the United States on March 7. According to media reports, Oprah’s talk with Meghan would be “covering everything from stepping into life as a Royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure.”
The official statement by Buckingham Palace about the couple’s permanent departure last week read: “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. Following conversations with The Duke, 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 honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family. While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”
Prince Harry and Meghan have settled in Montecito, California since their departure, and they have signed a multi-year contract worth tens of millions of dollars with Netflix as well as an exclusive deal with Spotify. The couple will no longer keep their patronages (their royal involvement with numerous UK charities). In addition, Prince Harry will lose his honorary military appointments, which will be redistributed “among working members of The Royal Family.” Along with this formal separation, the couple’s military, Commonwealth and charitable associations will revert to the Queen. Although Prince Harry and Meghan no longer use their coveted His/Her Royal Highness titles, they will retain them—along with their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
