As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step away from their roles as senior working members of the Royal Family, questions abound about the monarchy’s future. Does this unprecedented move threaten the Royal Family? What happens to the monarchy after Queen Elizabeth II‘s reign ends and enters King Charles? Could it be replaced with a modernized republic? The Queen married her country at the age of 25 years old. She served for 70 years, making her the longest to occupy the British throne.
Revelations are surfacing as Harry and Meghan make their way in America as private citizens; on display from the Netflix docuseries that the couple was paid $100 million, we learn of the cruel treatment of Meghan, which boils down to “racism.” Harry even says he might have been a bigot until he met Meghan. Probably that’s true; after all, the Royals presented racism, sexism, and classism to the world.
Meghan was not accepted into high society because she was a woman of color. But it is more than that. Meghan is not of royal mentality. She comes from California. Harry knows nothing but the Royal order, so how could he be introduced to diversity living in the palace? Megan is more of a victim as an American, combined with racism to be disregarded by the family, also known as “The Firm.” Prince Harry follows the path of his grand relative, Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, who abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry the “woman he loved.” She, too, was an American divorcee.
Princess Diana did not fit the model either. She was far too progressive, and her family was of status. She became quite the lady, with a global following for her glamour and couture, as she became the “toast” and “darling of the world.” She was outshining her husband, who was a problem for the king to be. She, too, did not fit the Royals and was purposeful in the public challenge. Her television true confession interview reported three in the marriage and Prince Charles was not fit to be king. It is highly suspected that the royals killed her as she might have married a man of color.
The Tradition of the Brits
Since its inception, the Royal Family has been a symbol of order and tradition in Britain. It is steeped in rich history and heritage, documented over hundreds of years. As with all institutions, however, change is inevitable; and with the recent announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are transitioning away from their roles within the monarchy, many are asking what will happen next.
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign will come to an end at some point in time. When this happens, it could mean either a continuation of traditional monarchical rule or a shift towards a modernized republic. An expert on British politics once said, “the rules for succession could be broken at any time depending on how events play out”; however, there is no sign of any definite action being taken. On the one hand, we have Harry and Meghan, who defy traditional royal protocol by taking steps outside of their royal roles; On the other hand, Prince Charles remains actively involved in his duties as heir apparent to the throne. As a result, young glamour couples compete. Could this decision by Harry and Meghan ultimately threaten the monarchy’s stability or force reforms to sustain it? The truth is nobody knows just yet.
Nevertheless, there can be no denying that changes need to occur if we are to ensure that such an institution survives into modern times. One of the shocking revelations in Harry’s new book, “The Spare,” is that while in the Royal Army, he killed 25 people in Afghanistan. This will probably haunt him for days to come.
So, Harry and Meghan become American citizens, or are they world citizens given residency on two continents and their fondness for Africa? They are young and can pen tell-all books and produce documentaries, but how long will their popularity last? They have presented themselves as the couple next door that also happened to be royal associates. In America, the celebs and politicians are the Royals. The story’s hero is Tyler Perry, who has provided the couple with housing until they get their proper footing, and he has become the godfather to the children, but he will not go to London for the ceremony.
The finances of the Royal Family are complex. They receive a Sovereign Grant from the government to perform their public duties. The average Royal is paid $63,461 per year. The late Prince Phillip, for example, was paid $500,000 per annum. The private revenue is estimated at $400,000 million, producing $1.8 billion in tourism income. According to Prince Charles‘ official website, Prince William and Kate receive $6.6 million a year from the Duchy of Cornwall via Prince Charles. The same is stated for Prince Harry and Meghan.
Presumably, this sum is split equally between the two couples, giving the Cambridges and Sussexes $3.3 million each. The Queen had three sources of income that amounted to $64,491,700. And then there is the private purse, housing, jewels, clothes, cars, and on and on and on. My point, abdicating from the Royal Family, The Firm is not a simple task. There are real financial consequences. Clearly, the family does not welcome disruption from their hefty royal income inherited by birthright. It is the ultimate white privilege position.
So, what does their future hold? Maybe they are accepted back into the Royal Family on their terms. Perhaps Meghan will run for American political office. (Harry has limited political reality in a run in America because he is not a natural citizen, but in California, maybe, think Arnold Schwarzenegger). Can you imagine his beautiful British accent in the likes of politics? Imagine the commercials. Perhaps they become celebs paid to come to the red carpet affairs, or Harry goes home when his brother, William, becomes King. Maybe they just become the ultimate society couple.
Perhaps they bring a touch of royalty to America.
