An Expert Argues That Prince Harry ‘Lost His Last Remaining Royal Duties and Is Out in the Cold'
A royal family expert has clarified that Prince Harry's move to the United States as his permanent residence signifies a break from Britain's royal circles, marking a decisive step in his departure from formal Royal Family obligations.
In January 2020, the Duke and his spouse Meghan Markle relocated to Montecito, California, relinquishing their prominent positions as members of the royal family.
Though at first thought to be a temporary measure, more subsequent events have confirmed the permanent nature of their migration. Tom Quinn, a royal expert, highlighted the wider changes in royal responsibilities brought about by this change of residence.
He told the Mirror, "There are more profound implications of the change of main residence - because he is a prince of the royal blood and still fifth in line to the throne, Harry is, in theory, still a counsellor of state, charged with carrying out the official duties of the monarch should King Charles become incapacitated."
He further added, "For Harry that is now impossible. The change of residency comes on top of a statement in 2022 from the crown to Parliament that only working members of Royal family will ever be called upon to fill in for the monarch. So that leaves Harry out in the cold where he thinks he wants to be - for now. With his change of primary residence Harry is saying: ‘If Britain doesn’t want me, then I don’t want Britain."
As per the outlet, Quinn cited a 2022 declaration by the royal family to parliament which stated that the monarch would only be replaced when necessary by active members of the Royal Family. The only people who will be 'called on to act as Counsellors of State' have to be 'working members of the Royal Family'. This legally excludes Harry and Andrew since they have resigned from their royal responsibilities, according to a measure signed into law in December 2022.
As reported by the Daily Mail, a file from Prince Harry's environmental tourism company Travalyst revealed the most recent updates to his home property last week. According to the paperwork, Prince Harry moved to the United States on June 29, 2023, about the same time as he and his spouse, Meghan Markle, formally left their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage.
Following their 2018 royal wedding, Prince Harry and Markle received the Frogmore Cottage as a gift from Queen Elizabeth. It was used as their official London house after being renovated with funds from the Sovereign Grant.
After remodeling the house at an estimated $3 million, the pair only lived there for a year before announcing their intention to abdicate their royal responsibilities in early 2020.
Prince Harry and Markle moved to California, and in the summer of 2020, they paid an estimated $14 million for a nine-bedroom property in Santa Barbara, where they have since made their home with their daughter Princess Lilibet and son Prince Archie. They did, however, continue to reside in Frogmore Cottage when they visited the United Kingdom.
