I'm not sure whether you meant to say 'Duchess of York' or not. Again, there's no comparison whether you're speaking of the Duchess of York or the Duke of York
I disagree that either Harry or Meghan
'need public support to prevent themselves becoming poorer.' That's ridiculous. The British tax dollars mostly pay for the pomp and circumstance, the security, the travel, and the maintenance of the palaces, etc. Royals have to use their own money for many of their personal lifestyle concerns.
FWIW, Prince Charles has not been sitting by idly twiddling his thumbs. He's been serving his country, as well as investing in his family's future with his many Duchy of Cornwall projects. Plus he's clearly concerned about public perceptions regarding the monarchy and he's spoken of plans to 'streamline' under his future reign. William has been a working pilot for the Air Ambulance Services. Prince Harry has served his country admirably in the military, and he would still be serving if he could, except that his position as a royal necessitated his retirement since he did not wish to work behind a desk, and his royal duties also conflicted. Sophie would have continued with her work, but her high profile and people trying to take advantage of her royal status, led to her having to leave her profession. Prince Harry has grappled mightily with being a royal. And he finally realized that who he is provides him with a platform to help other people, and to bring attention to worthy charitable causes. Meghan has said in interviews before she met Harry that her career success afforded her a platform and the opportunity to provide encouragement and support to others. And she's been a wonderful role model to many young people. Together, Meghan and Harry seem deeply committed to making a difference in the world, not just for Britain and the Commonwealth, although serving Britain will be their main focus.
You're British and you surely know more about British history and the parliamentary system than I do. I would just point out that the British monarchy these days plays very little to no part in ruling the country. Queen Elizabeth is a lovely, dutiful and amazing figurehead, but a figurehead nonetheless, presiding over an antiquated institution that has done it's best to survive intact over centuries. Whether Prince Philip was simply being flippant and crusty in his temperamental way of speaking out or not, most of the members of the royal family in modern times have felt the burden of royalty. Many members have weathered personal crises as a result, some tragically, including Prince William of Gloucester, Diana Princess of Wales, and Princess Margaret -- not to open a can of worms in this thread -- we can go to their threads. I just mention them as examples.
My main points are that the royals do not rule Great Britain; the British monarchy is important to the British economy or it wouldn't still exist; quite a number of people in Britain have a vested interest in the continuation of the monarchy and of British royal traditions. I'm sure we will all stay tuned with even greater interest as a new and fascinating individual joins this historic family. Any British citizen who strongly disagrees with the institution has the right to speak out and some of them do. If it were taken to a vote, I believe currently there is a strong enough sentiment for the British monarchy to remain in existence.
Don’t misunderstand me, I wasn’t trying to compare the two. I was simply using Sarah as an example of what happens when the British don’t like the way things are going. Decades ago, we would have kept a deferential silence when members of the Royal Family stepped out of line. Today however, the scrutiny is far greater and the consequences far more immediate. The OP suggested that the British would have to adjust, as I think most of us can agree, it doesn’t work that way.
Yep
@Gaudete, I understand what you're getting at in the larger sense. On some level we are speaking of apples and oranges, and making different points. And some of us may misunderstand the complexities and the subtleties. This whole conundrum of citizenship has certainly been discussed by Meghan, Harry, his aides and British authorities in detail, I'm sure. They have all worked out where things are heading, and many details will take time to be worked out. The thing is that this is rather new and unusual for an American to marry into the British royal family in modern times, and in any time, even though it's not very unusual for British aristocrats to marry wealthy Americans (as we learned historically watching
Downton Abbey).
I agree with the spirit of what you're saying obviously. I'm pointing out that it truly makes sense for all of us to maintain a sense of perspective here, and not get too carried away. This is an exciting love story, and it's fun to discuss all sides of it. Actually, no one owns either Meghan or Harry, or their love story. Essentially, they are calling the shots, at the same time they are well aware of the restrictions and requirements of royal protocol and life in the royal family. No matter what, we all have to make adjustments in life, individually and collectively.
Above all, it's Meghan and Harry who have made a commitment to each other, and they've been navigating their journey under the radar for a long time, trying to enjoy their privacy and figuring out how to make everything work as smoothly as possible, with all the sacrifices it has taken for them to maintain their long distance relationship.
As Meghan said in the
VF interview, she and Harry both knew there would come a time when they would have to present themselves and respond to questions and share their story with the British public. Meghan is smart to end her relationship with her former charities in Canada and start afresh with a clean slate in Britain. And it's been reported that this is her idea, and that she wishes to concentrate on steeping herself in a knowledge of Great Britain and it's people. As time passes, she will eventually become involved with new charities under the Royal Foundation umbrella.
Harry and Meghan have surely each grown on this journey over the past 18 months, and they've kept their feet on the ground regarding logistics and the burdens they will have to continue to traverse, even as their love for each other has probably had their hearts soaring in the clouds. Meghan has surely experienced some heartbreak and poignancy in making the choice to leave her beloved Bogart and her former life behind in Toronto. But she also seems to be fully embracing her new life with joy, calm and steadiness, mixed with a bit of nerves and excitement. I believe her eyes are wide open, and Prince Harry has got her back, just as they both have hold of and deeply cherish each other's hearts. How rare is that!