The Abdication !

Prince Harry and his bride, Meghan Markle certainly stunned the Queen when she learned of their withdrawal  from " senior Royal duties " from a television news programme.  The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie have been mesmerising the public from when the first days of their " togetherness "  became official.

Cynics in British society will probably blame Meghan.  After all she was American - and a movie actress - who managed to snare the worlds most eligible bachelor and that led to a wedding that was a world event, a hereditary title and a palace refitted to her taste from the public purse.  Is it any wonder she tired of the functional duties of shaking hands and opening events where one of the Royals performs their Royal duties  ?

The British House of Windsor is one of the last remaining monarchies and it is often branded out of step with modern times. It has regularly endured Royal scandal and it has changed little since the glory days of empire.  The Queen has done a sterling job of holding Britain together, but her rule is coming to an end and perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the fore runners of how the House of Windsor will present as this twenty-first century develops.

Harry and Meghan propose to split their time between Britain and north America, and presumably that means both the United States of America and Canada, where they have shown recent affinity. They propose becoming responsible for their own upkeep.  They are relatively rich in their own right.  Meghan was a successful actress and Harry inherited from his mother, Princess Diana, but their announcement suggests that they may engage in some sort of business activity.

Perhaps Harry and Meghan are looking to extend the reach of the Monarchy into the countries of the Commonwealth.  When Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries gained independence it was at a time when the empire was at its height and the decision to retain the Monarch as head of state was very logical.   That arrangement is under a great deal of pressure today.

Britain is wracked by an abundance of titled peerage preserved under the edict of primogeniture - in which the first born son - and now daughter - inherits both the title and the money.  Two of Queen Elizabeth's grandsons experienced that division.  William as first born was automatically the " heir " and Harry was relegated as " the spare " in the event of William becoming deceased before he became the Monarch. Harry is now further down that line of accession. There is a growing feeling that there are just too many " Royals " feeding off the public purse and it seems that Harry and Meghan are voluntarily thinning their ranks.

Announcing their intent without first talking with the Queen may have been a deliberate tactic to gain independence.  This declaration signals that they will make their own decisions and not be bound by arbitrary rules imposed as a matter of protocol by the government of Britain.  Harry has always been something of a maverick and he and his American born wife are seeking to create a life of their own outside the gold fish bowl that constricts the other Royals.

This could be the breath of fresh air that the British establishment needs, but it could be a disaster if it goes wrong.  Most people will wish Harry and Meghan well as they step out of the gilded cage and seek to create a life of their own in the real world !