Charles threatens to halt Harry and Meghan’s cash
Prince Charles has made it clear that he won’t write Harry a blank cheque if the Sussexes relinquish their roles as senior royals.
The Prince of Wales could stop funding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex if they step away from royal duties entirely, The Times understands.
Charles has made it clear that he will not be writing his son a blank cheque as he and his wife embark on a new life after relinquishing their roles as senior members of the royal family.
The warning came as doubts were raised about how the couple intend to become “financially independent” as they carve themselves a “progressive new role”, splitting their time between Britain and North America.
Harry and Meghan blindsided Buckingham Palace on Wednesdayby releasing a “personal message” stating that they were stepping down as senior royals. The Queen and other family members were said to be hurt and disappointed by the move.
On Thursday, as the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge spent the day talking on the phone in an effort to resolve the crisis, it was revealed that:
- The duke and duchess ignored the advice of their senior aides about the release of their statement and gave other royals only ten minutes’ notice.
- A meeting between Harry and the Queen was blocked by her courtiers amid fears that he would use it to sweet-talk her into agreeing what he wanted.
- The public back the couple’s decision to step down but do not believe that they should receive continued funding from Prince Charles.
- The royal family have united to fast-track discussions with Harry and Meghan so that a solution can be found within days.
After a series of calls on Thursday - between the Queen in Sandringham, Charles in Scotland, and William, as well as Harry - royal officials have been ordered to get together with the Sussexes and come to a swift agreement about the couple’s future. They hope to find a solution within days rather than weeks, possibly as soon as early next week.
The optimism about finding a quick resolution to the issue comes after the Palace delivered an unprecedented rebuke to the Sussexes.
Some 90 minutes after Harry and Meghan announced their move it issued a statement saying: “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
The negotiations are likely to involve Priti Patel, the home secretary, who is ultimately responsible for royal security. One of the trickiest issues to resolve will be the cost of the couple’s protection, which at present is funded by the taxpayer at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. The bill faced by taxpayers is likely to increase substantially if the couple spend significant time abroad.
The Canadian government is also likely to have an input into the discussions. A source has confirmed that when the couple talk about living in North America they mean Canada rather than the US, although they may also spend time south of the border.
The Sussexes have said that they no longer want to receive income from the sovereign grant, the taxpayer money that funds the official duties of the Queen and other members of the royal family. However, the bulk of their costs are met by Charles’s income from the Duchy of Cornwall. Charles funds the official duties of his sons to the tune of just under pounds 5 million (AUD $9.5 million) a year. Harry’s share is thought to be a little under half of that. While he is unlikely to leave them without a penny, Charles has made it clear that any agreement over money depends on the details of their future role and will only be settled once that has been decided.
Negotiations between Harry and his father have been going on since Christmas, which the couple spent with their eight-month-old son, Archie, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, on Vancouver Island.
When Harry tried to have a meeting with the Queen on his return, to keep her up to date with what was happening, she initially agreed but the meeting was later blocked by courtiers. Harry, 35, was said to be angry and upset at the rebuff. It is thought that palace aides feared he would use the meeting to recruit the Queen, 93, to his cause and then use that as a negotiating tactic with his father.
The couple’s decision to issue their statement without consultation was prompted by a story in The Sun saying that they were planning to spend part of the year in Canada. Aides tried to talk them out of releasing it without consultation but were overruled.
Polling has revealed that the public are supportive of Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from the royal family but do not think they should continue to receive public money. A snap survey by YouGov shows that 45 per cent of the public back the move, although almost two thirds say that they should not receive funding from the Duchy of Cornwall.
The Times
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