Prince Harry and Meghan: Royal Family ‘hurt’ as couple begin ‘next chapter’

London:     The Royal Family are said to be “hurt” at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement they will step back as senior royals.
Prince Harry and Meghan did not consult any senior royal before making the statement.
Buckingham Palace was “blindsided”, said Jonny Dymond, as talks about their future had begun but were in very early stages.
The Palace said there were “complicated issues” to work through.
In their statement on Wednesday, Harry and Meghan said they made the decision “after many months of reflection and internal discussions”.
They said they intend “to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent”.
They plan to split their time between the UK and North America, while “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,” the couple said.
The couple’s announcement raises numerous questions over what their future royal roles will entail.
Former press secretary to the Queen Dickie Arbiter said exactly how they will execute their plan “remains to be seen”.
He told Newsnight. “There’s a question of security: who provides the security?
“Is it Scotland Yard, as it does provide royalty protection. Is it the Canadians that’s going to be asked to provide it? Who is going to pay for it?”
Royal commentator Penny Junor said the couple’s actions were reminiscent of Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The suggestion that they had not consulted other royals before making their statement was “beyond bizarre”.
She said: “It has echoes of Diana when she suddenly announced after her separation [from Charles] that she was stepping back from 50 of her charities without consulting anybody.
“The problem is that they are not working for themselves, they are working for a family firm and to be making announcements of this sort without consulting is beyond bizarre.”
Graham Smith, a spokesman for Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, said Harry and Meghan’s decision “raises questions about the monarchy’s future” and will prompt taxpayers to ask how the couple’s extra security and overseas lifestyle will be funded.
Smith questioned why they were announcing they were working towards being financially independent, saying: “To suggest that they’re not already financially independent is incredibly crass and belies a sense of self-entitlement and a lack of self-awareness that is common among royals.”
He added: “This really is wanting to have your cake and eat it. They have said they will dip in and out of royal duties as it suits them but won’t stop taking public money until they find other sources of income.”