Late Queen’s Rejection of Harry and Meghan’s Part-Time Royal Proposal Seen as Too Harsh

The decision by Queen Elizabeth II to decline Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s proposal for a “part-time royal” role has been criticized as excessively strict. Royal commentator Jennie Bond shared her insights on Times Radio, expressing that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had legitimate grounds to seek a more private life and financial independence.

Bond proposed that allowing the couple to fulfill their royal duties could have been advantageous, especially considering the ongoing health challenges within the royal family.

The steadfast stance of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, however, left little room for Harry and Meghan to explore a middle ground that would have permitted them to make independent choices while remaining part of the royal establishment. This rigid approach ultimately led to the couple’s departure from their roles as active members of the royal family in 2020, an event widely referred to as Megxit.

Bond told the outlet: “I’ve always held the view that the late Queen and the Palace were quite harsh when they put down this red line ‘you can’t be half-in, half-out’.”

“I think in a modern, evolving monarchy, perhaps a way could have been found, to incorporate what they wanted which was, we thought, some privacy at least, to not always being on show,” she continued.

Bond, who has a background as a BBC royal correspondent, reflected on the complexities that Harry and Meghan faced in their desire to be financially self-sufficient. Their pursuit of independence, which implied engaging in commercial activities, presented a potential conflict of interest with their royal duties.

Despite these challenges, Bond believes the Palace may have acted prematurely in outright rejecting the couple’s proposal, suggesting that a more nuanced approach could have been considered to accommodate their aspirations within the framework of royal obligations.