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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprise announcement that they were stepping back from life as full-time working Royals left the UK–and the world–reeling. Here’s how their decision could ripple throughout the monarchy, shaking the very foundations of Buckingham Palace.
After the Swedish monarchy decided to “streamline” this summer, demoting all but Crown Princess Victoria as working Royals, we started to wonder if the British might follow suit.
While we haven’t heard that any of the other UK Royals are in danger of losing their HRH titles, it’s certainly possible. It’s rumored that Charles plans to aggressively prune the working Royals. That would mean the York Princesses, along with Charles’ siblings, could be on the chopping block.
Another big question is whether Harry and Meghan will reveal Royal secrets to the world. That’s their main leverage with the Queen–if they are too unhappy with the deal they’re offered, Harry and Meghan could go running to Oprah with details about Royal life behind closed doors.
With “The Firm” down two of its most popular young Royals (and with Prince Andrew removed from public life), someone has to pick up the slack. Will William and Kate have to take on extra duties? Or will Beatrice and Eugenie finally get their chance to shine? The most likely candidate might be Sophie, the wife of Prince Edward, who is rumored to be the Queen’s favorite daughter-in-law.
Of course, all this assumes that there will still be a monarchy in the UK after the Queen passes away. The public’s faith in the Royal Family has been shaken from the twin PR disasters of Prince Andrew’s scandal and the Sussexes’ exit. It’s possible that they will call for a referendum on whether to abolish the monarchy before the next succession.
