Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Give Up Membership In The British Empire

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Instagram @theroyalfamily)

JAKARTA - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to quit the British royal family. The Duke of Sussex couple explained that they wanted to live financially independently.

"After months of reflection and internal discussion, we have chosen to transition this year. We will come out as senior members of the royal family and be financially independent, but still support Her Majesty the Queen," quoted from the official Instagram account of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. .

Quoted from The Guardian, they also set their intention to no longer be involved in the British royal news system. Both want to live freely without having to be followed by journalists or media agents who want to observe the Duke of Sussex family.

That means, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer receive the royal fund called Sovereign Grant. Includes costs to pay for housing and employment. After resigning from the royal family, this husband and wife will pay themselves for every need and expenditure they do.

Going forward both Harry and Meghan will have to work like the rest of the British public to fulfill a private life with Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, their eldest son.

The Forbes site predicts Harry's fortune to reach 40 million US dollars, or around Rp.556 billion. The source of this wealth is an accumulated fund from the inheritance left by Princess Diana's mother for her sons.

In addition, Harry will still get his salary as a former captain in the British military force, around 50 thousand to 53 thousand US dollars a year. In addition, Meghan also has a total net worth, which comes from her previous modeling and acting work, valued at US $ 5 million or Rp.69.5 billion.

Queen Elizabeth's disappointment

Hours after the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's resignation from the British royal family. Buckingham has also issued an official statement on the Royal UK website.

Implied from the message, that the royal party including Queen Elizabeth is very disappointed with the decision of the Duke of Sussex couple.

"Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but this is a complex issue that needs time to be resolved," Queen Elizabeth II told Buckingham Palace officials.

Screen capture of the Royal UK website

The fact the couple did not consult Queen Elizbeth or Prince Charles that they would release the statement has caused unrest. Not to mention that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to leave the royal family also surprised many circles.

Apart from wanting to be financially independent, the two couples also wanted to protect their lives from the British media. In October 2019, the couple announced that Meghan was suing the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

Meghan did so accusing the Mail on Sunday of publishing a private letter she sent to her father illegally. However, these allegations were denied by the newspaper.

At the same time, Prince Harry expressed his feelings for the British tabloid press for carrying out a 'black campaign against his wife. Harry likens the press treatment of Meghan to that of his mother, Princess Diana, before dying in a car accident while being chased by paparazzi in 1997.