Prince William, Prince Charles to Lead Summit on the Royal Family's Future After Prince Philip's Death
Prince Charles and Prince William will reportedly lead a summit soon to discuss the royal family's future after the death of Prince Philip.
According to a Daily Mail report, the two heirs, together with the Queen, will discuss which family members will retain senior royal roles and their respective responsibilities. This was in light of the Duke of Edinburgh's death, raising concerns about whether his hundreds of patronages should be passed down.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down from their royal duties have complicated the matter by reducing the number of people available for high-profile roles.
"The question is whether you start off by deciding how many patronages and engagements there should be, and then work out how many people are needed to achieve them, or whether you decide how many people there should be, which will dictate how many engagements and patronages they can take on," a source familiar with the matter said as reported by The Sun.
Royal insiders said that the decision of who will have prominent positions could not be discussed solely. Prince Charles will lead the talks due to him becoming king first and that any decisions will impact his reign.
Prince Charles has made it clear that Prince William must be consulted for each stage as any significant changes would naturally affect his son when he inherits the throne.
Due to the Sussex family's decision to step down from their roles, Prince Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie will be filling in the position left by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Royal expert and author Penny Junor told Express.co.uk that Edward and Sophie have been quietly doing good things in the background "and now because there is a vacuum where Harry and Meghan once were."
Prince William said he favored a more targeted approach on the Royal Family duties. The Duke of Cambridge said that he could make a more meaningful contribution to the number of organizations he supports, according to a News24x7 World report.
Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler, earlier told Us Weekly that Prince Charles has made it clear that he wants to slim down the monarchy and reduce the full-time working members to the immediate line of succession.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Exit
Last year, the Sussex couple announced that they are quitting the royal family. The couple said they wanted to make their own money and they would split their time between the U.K. and the U.S., according to a Page Six report.
The couple noted that the geographic balance would allow them to raise their son with an appreciation for the royal tradition while also providing their family with space to focus on the next chapter of their lives.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage has been criticized over their spending and want to have privacy. Critics noted that they continued to accept money from the British taxpayers.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently had an interview with Oprah, highlighting their struggles while living and working as members of the British royal family.
Markle noted that royal family members had questioned what Archie's skin color would be. Buckingham Palace responded and said that they will always be much-loved family members.
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