Princess Diana biographer claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charities are the ‘biggest losers’ of Megxit – and says stopping couple using HRH titles is ‘mean-spirited’
- Nigel Cawthorne is author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself
- Claims palace have ‘forgotten who the biggest losers’ in Megxit saga will be
- Says Sussexes’ charities who have been stripped of patrons will suffer most
- Nigel claims the palace’s ‘graceless response’ to split is ‘unnecessarily harsh’
- Adds it suggests no lessons have been learned since Charles and Diana divorce
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charities are the ‘biggest losers’ of Megxit and the palace’s decision to stop the couple from using their HRH titles is ‘mean-spirited’, a Princess Diana biographer claims.
Nigel Cawthorne, from Wolverhampton, author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself, said the monarchy ‘won’t suffer much’ as a result of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quitting as senior members of the Royal Family – but it’s a different story for the organisations they represent.
He added that The Firm’s ‘graceless response’ to their decision is ‘unnecessarily harsh’ and shows ‘no lessons has been learned’ since Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana’s divorce.
Earlier this week it was reported the palace considered ‘downgrading’ Harry and Meghan to the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, which would have put them on the same level as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie – the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charities are the ‘biggest losers’ of Megxit and the palace’s decision to stop the couple from using their HRH titles is ‘mean-spirited’, a Princess Diana biographer claims
A source told the Evening Standard: ‘The Sussex title is one of the ancient royal dukedoms given to him ahead of his wedding to Meghan, along with other titles. Removing it was seriously considered and discussed at the highest level.’
In response to the revelation, Nigel told FEMAIL: ‘The disappointing thing is that the palace seems to have forgotten who the biggest losers in this saga will be.
‘The monarchy won’t suffer much, but the British charities the Sussexes head and support – in Harry’s case with passion over the course of a lifetime – are most at risk.
‘These charities have already been stripped of patrons with an HRH title in a matter of days and any further attempt to clip the couples’ wings more will immediately impact on them further.’
Nigel Cawthorne, author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself, said the monarchy ‘won’t suffer much’ as a result of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quitting as senior members of the Royal Family – but it’s a different story for the organisations they represent
Earlier this week it was reported the palace considered ‘downgrading’ Harry and Meghan to the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, which would have put them on the same level as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie – the Earl and Countess of Wessex
Nigel said he feels a more ‘constructive approach’ could have been chosen and that ‘a failure by the palace to consider the bigger picture’ will potentially harm those with the greater needs.
He added that Harry, 35, and former actress Meghan, 38, themselves will be ‘far from destitute’ after choosing to be financially independent.
‘Harry is worth at least £12 million,’ Nigel explained. ‘£10 million from his mother and £2 million from the Queen Mother.
‘Meghan is estimated to be worth around £3.8 million. Nor will the Royal Family be in any financial trouble as a result of the couple’s decision to step back from taxpayer funding.
‘But is it really helpful for a charity to have a patron on a nebulous royal probation.’
Nigel said he feels a more ‘constructive approach’ could have been chosen and that ‘a failure by the palace to consider the bigger picture’ will potentially harm those with the greater needs. Pictured: Meghan and Harry with baby Archie in South Africa
Nigel described the palace’s decision to strip the couple of their HRH titles as ‘not far short of being mean-spirited’.
‘They don’t stand accused of having committed a heinous criminal act,’ he said.
‘All they requested was to be allowed to lead a more private life not funded by the state.
‘The palace’s graceless response is unnecessarily harsh and shows that no lessons has been learned since the divorce of Harry’s mother from the Prince of Wales.’
Earlier this week palace officials were forced to admit they had made a blunder by announcing Meghan would take the title of a divorced woman.
Earlier this week palace officials were forced to admit they had made a blunder by announcing Meghan, pictured with the Queen, would take the title of a divorced woman
After confirming that she and Harry, who is still sixth in line to the throne, will give using up their HRH – His and Her Royal Highness – titles, aides said the couple would instead be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
But as Harry boarded a flight to Canada last night to start his new life with Meghan and baby Archie, palace officials at home were scrambling to confirm the couple’s correct titles after admitting they had got them wrong.
Typically only the divorced wives or widows of hereditary peers are referred to by their Christian name, followed by a comma, then their title – as in the case of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York.
After this was pointed out by the Mail, royal officials yesterday confirmed the information had been given out in error by the Press Office and that the couple’s new titles would be reported in due course. It is likely they will simply revert to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, without the HRH.
Prince Harry, pictured being greeted by Tlotlo Moilwa during a visit to the Kasane Health Post, run by the Sentebale charity, in Kasane, Botswana
Earlier today it was revealed Meghan’s father Thomas Markle doesn’t think his daughter will see him again until he is ‘lowered into the ground’ in a coffin.
He justified being paid to take part in a Channel 5 documentary by saying: ‘Meghan owes me – it’s time to look after daddy’.
Thomas’ comments come after the Queen’s top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are stepping back as ‘senior’ royals in a bid to seek financial independence.
Thomas Markle, 75, has opened up about the breakdown of his relationship with daughter Meghan, 38, saying he fears she and Prince Harry won’t see him until he is ‘lowered into the ground.’ Pictured, speaking on Channel 5 TV documentary ‘Thomas Markle: My Story’
A grinning Duke of Sussex touched down in Vancouver on Monday night, and yesterday it emerged he has already organised events across America for his charity Sentebale, which supports children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.
Harry, who used a Sentebale dinner in London this week to claim he and Meghan ‘no choice’ but to quit as senior royals, has pledged to help the world beat AIDS as a legacy to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, while his close friend Sir Elton John’s foundation has raised £240million [$300 Million] to fight the virus and help its victims.
Sentebale chairman Johnny Hornby told the Evening Standard yesterday: ‘The duke is a global figure and HIV is a challenge for the world to try to help solve.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019
‘We know the duke has the ability to challenge the stigma that surrounds HIV and shine a light on these issues, whichever side of the pond he finds himself on.’
On Monday the Duke of Sussex rushed through a series of meetings at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in Greenwich and is not believed to have seen William before catching a 5.30pm flight out of Heathrow to Vancouver.
But he did reportedly hold a meeting with his Kensington Palace team about managing his and Meghan’s affairs because they will now be in Canada for the foreseeable future.
A smiling Meghan Markle took Archie and her two dogs for a walk in Vancouver hours before Harry landed in Canada.
Prince Charles may use multi-million-pound legacy from King George VI to fund Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Charles may turn to his multi-million pound inheritances from King George VI and the Queen Mother to bankroll Harry and Meghan’s Canadian adventure – but experts in royal finances fear taxpayers could still end up picking up the bill.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are worth up to £34million between them but have to pay back the £2.4million of public funds spent refurbishing Frogmore Cottage and are expected to buy or rent a gated mansion in Canada.
Charles has historically paid his son around £2.3million-a-year from his £1.2billion Duchy of Cornwall estate – which is considered a public asset because it has been gifted to the heir to the throne by every British monarch since 1337.
Charles is understood to have inherited millions from his grandfather King George VI, who died in 1952, and a significant sum from the Queen Mother, who died in 2002.
David McClure, the author of Royal Legacy, told The Times: ‘Charles is facing a significant outlay over a short period of time and may have to use private sources of income’, adding: ‘The Duchy of Cornwall is a cash cow for Charles so he is likely to have been able to use some of that money to build up a private portfolio of shares. Historically there has been a blurring of what is official spending and what is private.’
Former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker is an expert on Charles finances after writing his book And What Do You Do? What the Royal Family Don’t Want You to Know’ and claims Charles has banked £100million.
He said: ‘He [Charles] does not pay for anything if he is able to find someone else to foot the bill. He is the tightest of the royals’, and said: ‘He’ll support them [Harry and Meghan] through the Duchy of Cornwall. What he will then do, based on previous experience, is claim that as a legitimate expense and he will use that to reduce his tax liability and therefore the public purse will continue to support Harry indirectly.’
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