The rest will have been of short duration. Officially deprived of their royal duties, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will have to return to the United Kingdom to fulfil their final obligations to the British Royal Family.
According to indiscretions in the Sunday Times, Queen Elizabeth II has asked both spouses to attend one of the major ceremonies of the new year: the traditional Commonwealth Day, celebrated at Westminster Abbey on March 9.
As president and vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to join other members of the Royal Family, including Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Becoming independent while serving Queen Elizabeth II
As a reminder of the facts, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry created a surprise by announcing, at the beginning of the year, their intention to withdraw from the British monarchy. A sudden decision, which they had justified by their desire to live part of the year in Canada, where they have been staying with their son Archie (8 months) since the holiday season, but also to become financially independent.
A few days later, at a charity dinner in London, Prince Harry spoke of his “great sadness” when he explained: “The decision I made for my wife and I was not taken lightly but after months of talks, following years of challenges. In the rest of his speech, he added that he hoped he could “continue to serve the Queen, the Commonwealth and the military associations. This hope should be fulfilled next March.
The presence of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Westminster Abbey thus marked their last commitments to the British Royal Family before their permanent settlement between Canada and the United States.
