Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 9 March 2020
Royal farewell: Harry, Meghan on final duty before new life

By DANICA KIRKA they had sought to trade-
Associated Press mark.
LONDON (AP) — It's defi- So, what now?
nitely a farewell. But will it Well to start with, they won't
be fond? use their royal titles.
Prince Harry and his wife, But other issues remain: how
Meghan, the Duchess of will Harry and Meghan earn
Sussex, will fulfill their final a living and who will pay for
royal commitment when their security, which has un-
they appear Monday at til now been financed by
the annual Common- U.K. taxpayers? The Cana-
wealth Service at Westmin- dian government has said
ster Abbey in London. It's it will not.
the last time they will be The couple are expected
seen at work with the entire to earn their keep at least
royal Windsor clan before partly through speaking
they fly off into self-imposed engagements — sort of like
exile in North America. the Obamas. They already
The service marks the end spoke at a JPMorgan in-
of a two-month drama that vestment conference last
began when the couple month in Florida, but it isn't
announced plans to walk known whether they were
away from their roles as In this Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex paid.
senior members of Britain's attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London. Simon Morgan, a former
royal family and into a royal protection officer, es-
world where they will have back at the stable before my mum.'' tantly, he and William were timates their security costs
to earn a living, pay their pressures intensified on the Then in January, the couple seen as a new generation at "several million'' pounds
own way and even open couple, who became the sparked a royal crisis when who would modernize the a year.
some doors for themselves. Duke and Duchess of Sus- they revealed that they in- royals. "When you look at the royal
It's uncharted territory sex on their wedding day. tended to step back from But there's no precedent family, their security pack-
for the House of Windsor, Even before the ceremony, their duties as senior mem- for a part-time role in the age is very much built on
even as the family seeks to Britain's tabloid newspa- bers of the royal family. The House of Windsor's family a model from cradle to
downsize. pers featured stories about move came after holiday firm. After all, Edward VIII grave,'' said Morgan, the
"I think this is a blow because a rift between Meghan and pictures were released of was largely shunned by the director of operations and
I don't think (the Windsors) her father. When Meghan the queen along with son royal family after he abdi- training for the security firm
would have envisaged that became pregnant, some Prince Charles, grandson cated the throne to marry Trojan Consultancy. "It's
the slimmed-down monar- commentators criticized Prince William and great- American divorcee Wallis built on an element of rap-
chy would have actually her for jetting off to New grandson Prince George. Simpson in 1936. port and trust ... when we
meant that there was no York for a baby shower, a The future was pictured Anguish followed the duel- talk about the cost, the ini-
role for Meghan and Harry,'' strange American tradition and Harry wasn't part of it. ing announcements. tial setup of that team will
said Pauline Maclaran, co- to many in Britain. Others In a personal statement, Aggrieved taxpayers in- be quite important."
author of "Royal Fever: The lampooned Meghan's po- Harry and Meghan re- sisted that Harry and But many royal watchers
British Monarchy in Con- litically correct pronounce- vealed that they intended Meghan repay the 2.4 mil- are more interested in what
sumer Culture." "I mean, ments on the environment to become "financially in- lion pounds ($3.1 million) of caused this seismic shift in
they really brought a new and women's rights. dependent" and "balance" public money spent to ren- the British monarchy. Some
dimension to the royal fam- Meghan's supporters saw their time between the ovate the house in Windsor blame Meghan, who ad-
ily brand." racism at work. Harry pub- U.K. and North America, where they had planned mitted last year that adjust-
It wasn't supposed to hap- licly defended his wife and while continuing to honor to live. Their social media ing to royal life had been
pen this way. directed his anger at the and serve the queen. They feeds, normally full of heart- difficult.
Less than two years ago, intrusive media he has re- wanted, in essence, to be shaped emoticons, were The 38-year-old Los Ange-
Harry and Meghan were sented all his life because part-time royals. flooded with ill-tempered les native graduated from
seen as a golden couple of the paparazzi's role in Hours later, Buckingham commentary about their Northwestern University
that would help extend the chasing his mother, Princess Palace issued a statement decision to abandon Brit- and carved out a career in
royal family's appeal to a Diana, on the night in 1997 hinting that this part-time ain. movies and television long
new generation. Their wed- when she died in a Paris car notion had caught some in A family summit sought to before she met Harry. The
ding on May 19, 2018, unit- accident. the royal household by sur- hash out a way forward. couple's first child, Archie,
ed a grandson of 93-year- The prince himself was prise. Discussions with the Finally, the queen stepped was born in May 2019.
old Queen Elizabeth II with stung by media reports of Duke and Duchess, it said, in: Harry and Meghan Harry and Meghan's agree-
the former Meghan Markle, a split between him and were "at an early stage." would stop carrying out ment with the queen calls
a bi-racial American ac- his older brother, Prince Wil- With his ginger hair, close- royal duties in March, would for their decision to be re-
tress who had starred for liam. The notion that the cropped beard and easy pay back the renovation visited in a year. They may
seven years on the U.S. tele- brothers and their glamor- manner, Harry had be- costs and would receive choose to return to front-
vision series "Suits.'' George ous wives would be a royal come one of the royal no public money after they line duties, where their su-
Clooney, Serena Williams "Fab Four'' for the 21st cen- family's most popular mem- stepped aside. While Harry per-celebrity status allows
and Elton John attended tury began to fade. bers after shedding the and Meghan would always them to highlight their fa-
their wedding at Windsor "For me, and for my wife, of hard-partying image of his be part of the royal family, vorite causes.
Castle, which ended with course there's a lot of stuff youth. The youngest son of they won't be allowed to But will they miss it? Meghan
the royal couple kissing for that hurts, especially when Charles and the late Prin- use the word "royal'' to earn might miss the events like
their flag-waving fans and the majority of it is untrue,'' cess Diana, Harry is sixth in a living. one on Friday, in which
riding through the streets in Harry, 35, told ITV News last line to the throne, after his That meant the couple had she urged male students to
a horse-drawn carriage. fall. "I will not be bullied into father, William and William's to abandon plans to use honor the women in their
But the horses were barely playing a game that killed three children. More impor- the "SussexRoyal" brand lives. q