On the evening of the 19th local time, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, broke the silence and made his first public voice about the removal of the royal title. In a moving speech, he said he and his wife, Meghan, were "very sad" and "had no choice" but had "accepted reality." According to the media, Harry seems to be frustrated, and the "solo flight" plan has backfired.
Show remorse?
"We do everything we can and proudly fulfill our role in this country," Harry said at a charity event in London that day, adding that he and Meghan wanted to do their duty but the future could not be achieved, so it was "very sad".
In response to rumors that "Meghan directed and performed her own court drama", Harry defended his wife in his speech. "I don't think my wife and I have been hasty in making the decision to pull out, and after years of challenges, we've had months of discussions. I know I'm not always acting right, but as things stand, there really is no choice. ”
"We want to continue to serve the Queen, the Commonwealth and the Military Council, but not with public funds, which unfortunately is not possible." Harry expressed regret, "I've accepted the fact that I know it won't change who I am and my commitment, but I hope it will help you understand this and I'll withdraw from everything I'm familiar with and take a step toward a calmer life." ”
"I was born that way, and it is a great honor to serve my country and the Queen." Harry seems to blame the media, "When I lost my mom 23 years ago, you kept me under your wing. You've taken care of me for so long, but the media is a powerful force..."
"I always respect my grandmother, my commander-in-chief, and I am so grateful to her and my family for their support of me and Megan over the past few months." "I want to be clear, we're not leaving, we're not leaving you," "England is my home, a place I love, and that will never change." ”
According to Reuters, Harry was clearly frustrated, saying that the final result was not what he and his wife wanted. According to the New York Times, this statement clearly shows that the "withdrawal" that Harry and Meghan originally envisioned was not such a complete withdrawal. Despite all the heart-warming things said, Buckingham Palace distanced itself from harry's new life.
The price of freedom
The incident stemmed from a statement issued by the Harrys on the 8th of this month, saying that they did not want to continue to serve as senior members of the royal family, hoping to gradually seek economic independence and live in Britain and North America. The Queen then held a family meeting with some members of the royal family, and after "very constructive discussions" agreed that the Harrys would "start a new life".
The British royal family issued a statement on the 18th, agreeing that the Harrys and his wife will withdraw from the royal family and remove the royal titles ("His Royal Highness" and "Her Royal Highness") the two will no longer represent the royal family to attend events, and will no longer receive public funds used to support the royal family's position.
Harry will remain the prince and sixth in line to the British throne, and the couple will also retain the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In addition, the royal family allowed Harry to keep the current home of three in the United Kingdom, and the couple expressed their intention to repay taxpayers' money originally spent on renovating the house.
Arrangements will come into effect this spring and will be reviewed by Buckingham Palace. Some royal officials revealed that depending on the progress of the transition, the provisions may be revised in a certain direction. However, there are still some details of future arrangements that have not been finalized or not publicly disclosed.
As soon as the news came out, British public opinion "fried pan". Previously, the British media linked the Harrys' "separation from the royal family" with "Brexit", deriving a new term "Megxit", which means that Meghan wants to get rid of the royal family. The Sunday Mirror headlined on its front page: "The Queen ordered 'Hard Megxit,'" and the Sunday People said, "Harry and Meghan are cold outside." The Sunday Express wrote: "Freedom ... But there is a price to pay."
Reuters quoted royal commentators as saying that under the seemingly warm words, the queen took a firm and decisive position on the prince's "exodus". Royal commentator Alistair Bruce said that although the Queen's statement was full of warmth, it represented the Queen's final line, making it clear that fish and bear paws could not be combined, and that no one could be a member of the royal family or an individual at the same time.
British TV presenter Piers Morgan put the blame entirely on Meghan, tweeting: "Meghan and Harry wanted to eat the cake, but the queen brought the cake back to the royal kitchen."
British journalist and author Tom Bradby points out that the royal scandal is much more complicated than it seems: "It's hard to know who's right and who's wrong, and even trying to make a decision can be stupid." Bradby noted that the royal family's international standing was crucial to Britain's values and that "if it is tarnished, it will cause very serious damage." So "the family desperately needs a meaningful peace agreement with the young couple, because protracted war can indeed be very bloody." ”
Next, it remains to be seen whether the Harrys can maintain or surpass their previous status. Although Harry is still a prince, Canada's immigration system may treat him like a civilian. Some royal observers believe that how the relationship between the couple and the media develops will be one of the factors that will be most concerned about their new identity.
Biographer Hugo Vickers worries that Harry's renunciation of royal status may lose his charm and appeal. "In this ever-changing world of celebrity culture, this is undoubtedly a very real danger."
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Column Editor-in-Chief: Yang Liqun Text Editor: Yang Liqun Caption Source: Xinhua News Agency Photo Editor: Shao Jing