Although the assumption has been that he will remain in the line of succession despite leaving his royal duties behind, the couple directly answered the question in anannouncement on Wednesday.
“As the grandson of Her Majesty and second son of The Prince of Wales,Prince Harryremains sixth in the line of succession, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status in the Order of Precedence is unchanged,” a spokesperson for the couple said.
They also clarified the use of their titles going forward.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
“The Duke and Duchess will be spending their time in both the United Kingdom and North America,” the spokesperson adds. “In addition to continuing to work closely with their existing patronages as they build a plan for engagements in the U.K. and the Commonwealth throughout the year, The Duke and Duchess have also been undertaking meetings as part of their ongoing work to establish a new non-profit organization. The details of this new organization will be shared later in the year.
Rosa Woods/Getty
“In general, the themes of their cause related work will remain unchanged, which includes the Commonwealth, community, youth empowerment and mental health, collectively.”
A review is still set to follow after 12 months, at which point the royal family will revisit the agreement.
“As there is no precedent for this new model of working and eventual financial independence, the Royal Family and The Sussexes have agreed to an initial 12-month review to ensure the arrangement works for all parties,” the spokesperson says.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/POOL/AFP via Getty
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“As The Duke and Duchess are stepping back as senior Members of the Royal Family, and will work towards financial independence, use of the word ‘Royal’, in this context, needed to be reviewed. Discussions are still ongoing, however, a change will be announced alongside the launch of their new non-profit organization,” their spokesperson says.
While the discussions continue, it reportedly appears likely that they will not use the word “royal.”
source: people.com
