The Duke and Duchess of Sussex --

Marlene A Eilers Koenig

I am not going to write many words about what has happened in the past few days.  I have done nearly 20 interviews in the last 48 hours and have to decline others, including BBC's Morning show that wanted me on the air at 2:40 a.m., which is 7:40 a.m. in the UK.  I would not have been at my best at that hour.

While I do not agree with the decision to step down as being senior royals, I understand some of the reasons why.   The Duke and Duchess, especially the Duchess, were bullied by the British tabloid press from nearly day one of the first stories breaking about the romance.

Middle England cannot get over the fact that the Duchess of Sussex is a well-educated, erudite, bi-racial divorced American who married the younger son of the Prince of Wales.

My comment:  so what?

If you are going to trash Meghan and call her a social climber, trash her for being her, don't read further.     Piers Morgan's pants must be so wet with the vitriol he has spewed in the past two days.

Others have condemned the  Duke and Duchess for the recent news that they applied for trademark protection.  Well, you dimwits, the Cambridges did exactly the same thing in 2014.  Look it up.  They are protecting their intellectual property.  This means neither you nor I can use their monograms and other things to put on t-shirts, etc., for our financial advantage.

I think you should read this article to learn more about the press harassment that Meghan has suffered in the past three years.  No one should have to endure this hate written by people purporting to call themselves journalists. They are not journalists.   They are not even reporters as they are not REPORTING.  They are innuendoists (okay, not a real word), they are purveyors of misrepresentation, but they are not journalists.   Through their words and paragraphs and images, certain journalists and their overseers have conspired to drive Meghan out of Dodge.   I want them to win their lawsuits.


https://www.bylineinvestigates.com/mail/2020/1/10/kv913pun97mbewgk1hodcipttt1wfj

I have great sympathy for Meghan and what she has had to endure, but I have to admit as a historian and as a monarchist, I am also disappointed.  There is no evidence that the alleged slimmed-down monarchy would have not included the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Let's look at this in another way.  The British monarchy will get smaller through attrition and death.  The main branch of Team Windsor is the Queen, her three sons, and daughter, and the spouses of two of the sons.  this branch also includes the Heir's two sons and their spouses.  The junior branches include the Queen's elderly first cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.

I have not included the York Princesses and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent as members of Team Windsor.  They are members of the British Royal Family, but they are not working royals.  Yes, on rare occasions, the York princesses and the Michaels have carried out official engagements.  The Michaels have their own pages on the British monarchy's website.  The York princesses are not.

The Duke of York is technically a member of Team Windsor, but he has been placed on leave and is not expected to return to official duties anytime soon.  Or ever.   That would be a good thing

The youngest of the junior Branch is the Danish-born Duchess of Gloucester, who will celebrate her 74th birthday in June.  Her husband is 75.  The Duke of Kent turned 84 in October and his younger sister, Princess Alexandra celebrated her 83rd birthday this past Christmas Day.

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The Queen's children are also getting older.  The Prince of Wales is 71.  His sister celebrates the Big 7-0 this coming August.  Edward will turn 56 in March.

We will probably see several deaths in the next decade.  The Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, Princess Alexandra, Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex will not be replaced by their children.

The loss of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaves Charles III with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Perhaps the Duchess of Cambridge should have another baby.  Perhaps two to add to the reinforcements.



I have to admit that I am disappointed by the Sussexes' decision.  Yeah, I should have seen the handwriting on the wall with the reports last fall that the couple wanted to make changes and spend time in another country.  South Africa was mooted but then came a denial.

I saw nothing wrong with the new parents spending time with Meghan's mom during the holiday season.   I said to one of my Twitter followers that I expected the couple to return to royal duties, taking on a few more patronages, and doing a selection of bread-and-butter engagements as well.

Throwing in the towel in my mind is not the answer.  There are unsubstantiated reports that Meghan felt unloved and said that her voice was muted when she married Prince Harry.   Yes,  Harry and Meghan are a popular couple, but let's be honest. not with everyone.   However, in the pecking order, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are more important to the monarchy. 

This does not mean that there is no room for the Sussexes.  Of course, there is, but to hear rumors that they were complaining about being trotted out times because they are popular is nonsense.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's tours have been successful, achieving diversity and inclusion.  The Duchess' work with Smart Works has been amazing.   She has been able to effect a positive change in the lives of lower-income women in Britain to be able to dress well for job interviews.

The Duke of Sussex can be petulant.  He is still grieving the death of his mother.  I am a bit tired of people saying that his mother was killed by the press.  She died as a result of not wearing a seatbelt in a car crash where the driver was intoxicated.  The late Diana, Princess of Wales colluded and conspired with the British press for more than a decade.

I hope the Duke and Duchess of Sussex win their lawsuits.  I also think, rather than pushing the royal reporters aside, they should have met with them after the wedding, allowing the reporters to get to know Meghan, who was now a part of their beat.  A good percentage of the nasty coverage has been written by other writers on staff or freelance for the tabloids.

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It takes time for a royal bride to learn the ropes, even a well-educated, erudite American woman, who is, yes, a foreigner, to the royal life.  Yes, there are rules (not about pantyhose or off-the-shoulder dresses) that are largely based on tradition.  Yes, there is also a pecking order. 

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In the 1930s,  the Duke and Duchess of Kent were far more popular than the Dukes and Duchesses of York and Gloucester.  The Duchess of Kent, who was born Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, looked down on her sisters-in-law, calling them "those common little Scottish girls," one of whom was the daughter of an earl and the other a daughter of a duke.  The families of both duchesses were far richer than Marina's family.  The Duchesses of York and Gloucester were always in front of the Duchess of Kent, but Marina got better press coverage.  She was a fashion icon.    [However, the Duchess of York was the mother of two princesses, one of whom, at age 3, was already an influencer, when she was on the cover of Time magazine.]

I would have preferred the Duke and Duchess to be full-time royals, adding to their portfolio, and doing more within the parameters of the Royal Family, while speaking out and standing up to that awful press coverage.  Going rogue is in my view a disservice to themselves, to the Sovereign, to the British people, and to the country, they should be serving.

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Harry should remember his mother's favorite hymn: I Vow to Thee My Country.  I see his decision as a dereliction of duty. I won't castigate him for it.

I certainly believe that this was a decision made by Harry and Meghan, as Harry wants to make Meghan happy.  I do not see Meghan as the sole decision-maker within the family. 

We are moving into uncharted territories that I believe will create more problems as the press coverage will not get better.  It will get worse as Harry will be seen as abandoning his family, the duty to the Crown as he is after all a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  It is far easier for the Duchess to walk away from royal life.  She knows how to live in the real world.

I am truly saddened by the decision because I believe that Meghan has all the right stuff: smarts, compassion, concern, and empathy.  It must be admitted that royal life is not for everyone.  This does not make Meghan a failure.


For those who are denigrating and trashing Meghan and blaming her for the decision, I say you are a part of the problem that led to the Sussexes' decision.


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