Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s removal of HRH titles ‘backfires’ on King Charles

Although they are still referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer able to use their HRH titles since stepping down from royal duties in 2020.

The decision to remove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s HRH titles in 2020 when they stepped down as senior working royals has likely “backfired” for King Charles, fuelling their desire to want to keep speaking out about the Royal Family and firing potshots from all angles. The initial thought process was sure to be to protect the monarchy as the couple took a step back from royal life and moved abroad; however, the decision has proved to be a double-edged sword in the long-run, according to one commentator.

As reported by news.com.au, Sunday Times’s royal editor said: “If the past three years have shown anything since the Sussexes stepped down from royal duties, it is that banning them from using their HRH titles has only emboldened them to take on all the battles that royal life once prevented them from entering.” News.com.au also reported that Harry has been on a “truth-telling” spree – particularly over the past few months with the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix docuseries in December and Harry’s memoir Spare in the following month.

In his book, which promised to be filled with ‘”raw [and] unflinching honesty”, Harry laid into various members of the Royal Family. Prince William was one royal who suffered rather badly from the claims made by his 38-year-old brother. In one segment, Harry recalled a physical fight with his brother in 2019. The Duke of Sussex wrote: “[William] grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and knocked me to the floor. “I landed on the dogs bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. “I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”

Harry also commented on the “red mist” that came over William in that moment, also stating this during an ITV interview during the promotion for his memoir. The Duke told ITV’s Tom Bradby: “What was different here was the level of frustration, and I talk about the red mist that I had for so many years, and I saw this red mist in him.”

Harry claimed that William – who, he claimed, had urged him to fight back – had been left feeling regretful and apologised following the physical confrontation.