Megxit and the new Monarchy

The Sussex’s seem to have taken an actions-louder-than-words approach to their role in the monarchy over the course of their public relationship. From their more personal and less boringly-British wedding ceremony to shows of PDA on their Aussie tour, from foregoing a royal title for their son, they’ve marked (Markle-d, if you will) themselves as more relatable and less robotic royals than what Queen Lizzie might like.
Any royal stepping back from a senior position in the monarchy is an unforeseen move, but for Meghan and Harry, the couple with a penchant for breaking protocol, it seemed inevitable. The modern royals seem to have finally made the move that will force the monarchy to modernise itself.

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After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio)

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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

Meghan was never someone who needed the royal family, nor whose focus seemed to be on merging her personality and values with the institution. She’s never stood or acted for traditionalism, and the reason she alienated so many is because she’s the first of her kind within the monarchy. Meghan, who worked her way up from the suburbs of LA to a successful acting career, never needed the royals, and was bound to show it at some point.

The British royal family, famously, are not political; philanthropists they may be, but engaging in more intimate and political conversations is prohibited by protocol. Meghan has long used her influence for good, most notably women’s rights and feminism, a particularly touchy subject once she became involved with the royals. Of course, Prince Harry’s work with mental health charities has shown him to be increasingly passionate about sharing his own story.

Their move to minimise their royal business activity frees them from the political neutrality required by Windsor Castle, but also sends a strong signal to senior royals that they need to adapt their policies in order to remain a populous force in society.

This move on Markle’s behalf, with support from her husband, will show generations of young girls that marrying into a monarchy should not be the end of the road for your ambitions – trading your voice and independence for a crown should not need to go hand-in-hand.

Meghan and Harry have given the royal family an ultimatum: get with the times or say goodbye to your relevance. Given the royals’ already struggling status in contemporary society, Megxit is a turning point that Buckingham must follow.