Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Losing These Royal Perks
While Prince Harry and his lovely bride Meghan Markle made their shocking Megxit announcement back in January, the official end of their tenure as senior royals won't come until April. In fact, their current trip to the UK (which the couple made sans baby Archie, sadly) is a kind of farewell tour where they make their last royal appearances (and do other stuff like hang out with Bon Jovi). While both Harry and Meghan have expressed considerable relief at being able to escape from all of the constraining rules and regulations that dictate life in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, there's no denying that their post-royal life is going to involve a considerable loss of privileges, as well.
Meghan and Harry won't receive a royal level of protection
While the Canadian, and not the British, government has actually been paying for Meghan's and Harry's (and baby Archie's) security needs since they've been living on Vancouver Island, CBC reveals that this protection will cease once the couples give up their royal titles. As of now, the date on which the Canadian government plans to end its security detail is March 31.
Vanity Fair reveals that this lack of protection will also extend to media coverage as well as physical security. Now that the Sussexes will no longer be considered royals, the gloves are off when it comes to British newspapers' willingness to print paparazzi photos, as the couple learned to their chagrin when a sneaky shot of Meghan and Archie enjoying what was meant to be some private time made the front page of the notorious Sun tabloid. Hmm, so much for that much-longed-for escape into private life that Harry and Meghan were hoping for.
Meghan's jewelry options will be limited
Not that she's necessarily going to be too bothered by this — TV star, after all, with plenty of money and an extensive wardrobe of her own — but Meghan Markle will no longer get to play dress-up with the royal jewels like her sister-in-law Kate Middleton evidently does. Although Meghan did wear a historic tiara from the royal collection upon the occasion of her wedding, the Daily Express reveals that this was her first and last crack at the royal jewel chest. While it is unclear whether this was because she was never extended the same privileges as Kate or because she simply didn't care to borrow her granny-in-law's jewels, the fact remains that she's unlikely to have the chance to do so ever again.
Oh, and about that lovely tiara Meghan wore when she tied the knot with hubby Harry? Not only that tiara, but all tiaras, may now be off-limits to her. As someone who married into the royal family, she would have been allowed to wear one on specific occasions such as state dinners, but as her husband is no longer considered a senior royal, she may have to confine any future tiara-wearing to the plastic New Year's Eve variety.
Archie's future siblings may have massive inferiority complexes
The birth of a first child is always something special, and generally receives way more fanfare from friends and relatives than that marking the arrival of any subsequent sibs — just ask any fifth-born child whose birthday tends to be forgotten even by immediate family members and who was 12 before they had so much as a pair of sneakers that hadn't been worn by several other family members.
Any pending Mountbatten-Windsors, however, are really going to have something to gripe about. When big brother Archie was born, he was a royal baby, and, as such, had not only extensive worldwide press coverage and a Windsor Castle christening, but even his own fan merch offered for sale by the Historic Royal Palaces gift store. No commemorative china mugs for any little brothers or sisters he may have, though — these poor kiddies-to-be will likely just have to make do with Archie's hand-me-downs.
Harry and Meghan won't be given free housing
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do plan to retain Frogmore Cottage as their UK base of operations even after stepping back from their royal duties, but a January statement from Buckingham Palace confirmed that they will be paying back the approximately $3.4 million worth of funds that came out of the Sovereign Grant to cover the costs of its refurbishment. Should the couple require household staff during the time they spend in residence there, it looks like they'll have to hire their own. The Daily Mail reported that the chefs, maids, and footmen formerly assigned to Frogmore Cottage had been let go, while the house manager and cleaner were relocated to positions in other royal households.