PRINCE Harry has been skewered for making comments about not resting until he’s made a “more equal world” for his and Meghan Markle’s two children, with some calling for the Duke to relinquish his title as part of the process. The Duke of Sussex, 37, arrived in the Netherlands late last week after paying a surprise visit to the UK to visit the Queen and Prince Charles.
Harry was joined by his wife Meghan Markle, 40, to attend the opening days of the Invictus Games, which had been forced to take a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his visit, Harry took part in a Q&A session with young reporters where he vowed not to rest until he’s “made the world a better place” for his children Archie and Lilibet.
The Duke of Sussex said he wants his two-year-old Archie, and ten-month-old Lilibet to grow up “in a fairer world, a safer world, a more equal world”. He added: “It’s not going to be easy but I will never, ever, ever rest until I have as a parent at least tried to make the world a better place for them because it is our responsibility that the world is the way it is now.
“I don’t think that we should be bringing children into the world unless we’re going to make that commitment to make it better for them. We cannot steal your future.” However, Harry faced backlash for his comments with many taking to Twitter to voice their suggestions on the approach the royal could take to create an “equal world” for his and Meghan’s children. Harmeet K. Dhillon, founder of the Centre for American Liberty and Dhillon Law Group, wrote: “Start with dropping your titles.”
This sentiment was echoed by Kavita Iyer who wrote: “Give up your title to start with.”Others claimed Harry had lived a life of privilege due to being a member of the Royal Family. One called ‘RichSutton67’ wrote: “Says the guy whose whole life has been handed to him on a silver platter”. Another with the username ‘Spotterdotter’ pointed out that Harry and his family reside in a luxury property in Montecito and are also currently involved in a row with the Home Office over security.
They wrote: “A more equal world, Harry? Then you and your wife give up your titles and stop demanding special security! “Donate your money and stop living in a completely oversized mansion! What are you dreaming about at night? (This is sarcasm.)”
While a fan page for the Royal Family with the handle @things_royal branded the Duke “a hypocrite”. They wrote: “What a hypocrite! One of the most privileged people on earth, complained about not getting taxpayer-funded protection in the UK, who along with his wife complained about his son not having a Prince title, and the couple who use their royal titles everywhere they go!” A user called James Perales chimed in to add: “In that case, donate most of your money, get a regular paying job, and let your kids go to public school.”
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan quit their roles as senior royals in 2020 and have settled in the US where they pursue a financially independent life away from the Firm. Since stepping away from duties, they have signed lucrative contracts with streaming giants Netflix and Spotify and also pursued philanthropic work through their Archewell Foundation.
The pair were gifted their Duke and Duchess of Sussex title at their 2018 wedding, and were allowed to retain their peerage despite quitting royal duties. After stepping away from the monarchy, the couple were stripped of their royal patronages and honorary titles. Meghan lost her patronages for the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and both Harry and Megan no longer serve as president and vice president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
As part of stepping down as a senior royal, Harry also lost his honorary military titles. The pair “formally retain their titles of “His/Her Royal Highness” but can no longer use them in any official capacity, a palace spokesperson said at the time the decision was taken.
