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The Separation of Sussex & Buckingham: Some Personal Thoughts

The Separation of Sussex & Buckingham: Some Personal Thoughts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want their independence

 

 

Less than a week ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—announced that they would be stepping back as senior members of the British Royal Family. In the official statement, the Sussexes made it clear that they would “work to become financially independent” while still “continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.” 

 

Since that fateful day, the royal family has supposedly been in talks to meet halfway and British media has gone in a frenzy. And well, me, too. 

 

I have some real ~thoughts~ on the separation of Sussex & Buckingham, guys.

 

 

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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on


 

RELATED: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Wedding: What It Means For The Royal Family

 

It was inevitable 

If you look at the moves that Harry and Meghan made since their marriage and the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, everything really points to an inevitable royal separation. 

 

When Archie was born, the Sussexes kept his birth relatively low-key. The announcement was made, sure, but it wasn’t a few days later that they made their first public appearance as a family. The christening also wasn’t the big show people were expecting. 

 

During the holidays, Harry and Meghan also opted for an extended break from their duties, choosing to spend Thanksgiving in the United States and Christmas in Canada. Look, it isn’t at all strange that the new mother wanted to be with her biological family for her son’s first Christmas—but, in hindsight, many see those six weeks as a trial period. 

 

Then, of course, there were details revealed in Harry and Meghan: An African Journey that not-so-subtly expressed the couple’s unhappiness. Harry noted he would do anything to protect his family; Meghan went on the record to say she had been struggling. 

 

What did we think they were going to do?

 

 

Financial independence

I love it when someone of privilege leaves it all behind to make it on their own—but are Harry and Meghan really going to be on their own? As it stands, the couple’s activities are funded by the income of the Duchy of Cornwall and further aided by The Queen’s Sovereign Grant. It should also be noted that no senior member of the royal family is technically allowed to have a real “job” and make income on their own. 

 

So, great! Harry and Meghan do not want to be handed money and they want to make it on their own. But considering how their popularity is so heavily influenced by their royalty, can they ever be truly independent? Their website is sussexroyal.com, their Instagram is @sussexroyal—they can’t and probably won’t ever sever their titles and connections. Really, it’s the whole debate on whether or not Kylie Jenner is really a “self-made” billionaire all over again. 

 

But at least they’re putting in the work.

 

 

RELATED: The New Royal Baby: What This Means For Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & The Royal Family

 

The audacity and disrespect (AKA my rant)

For their choice and for their courage and need to protect themselves and their child, I will tip my hat off to the separation of Sussex & Buckingham—otherwise known as #megxit.

 

My beef, truly, is that Harry and Meghan ~supposedly~ didn’t discuss their move with their ~family~ before making their announcement public. It might be an old tradition to check things with the Queen first, but I’m a firm believer that the tradition should hold. The British Royal Family is not run-of-the-mill; their decisions affect more than yours and mine do. And while I understand that the Sussexes are not in the direct line of succession anymore, Harry is still the direct grandson of Queen Elizabeth. 

 

A little respect for the institution he was born and raised in and she married into—or some respect for his father and grandmother—would have gone a long way. Sure, they might have tried to convince Harry and Meghan otherwise, but if their case and desire were strong enough, do we really think Buckingham would (or could) have stopped them?

 

A little heads up, Harry and Meg. A call, a note—anything.  

 

 

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Also. To make such a headline statement to the public a day before the future queen’s birthday? What was that. 

 

RELATED: The Philippines’ Most-Searched Men and Women of 2019

 

Queen Elizabeth has since released her own statement on the matter, saying that the family is “entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life,” but that they would have “preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family.” 

 

The separation of Sussex & Buckingham isn’t over and we’ll need to get through the next few days to see how things will move forward (and I’m probably going to need more to settle my feelings). Until then, here’s to hoping #megxit will be for the everyone’s betterment. 

 

 

Art Alexandra Lara

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