Six years ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world by announcing their decision to step back from their royal duties and move to the United States for financial independence. Despite this move in January 2020, they still hold onto their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex given to them by the late Queen during their 2018 wedding. Questions have arisen as to why these titles have not been revoked, especially since they no longer fulfill royal obligations for King Charles.
Since leaving their royal roles, the couple has made various controversial claims about the royal family, including through interviews with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix docuseries in 2022, and Harry’s memoir. Reports suggest that discussions have taken place within the Royal Family about potentially stripping them of their titles.
During a recent interview in early 2023, Harry was pressed about retaining their titles despite criticizing the royal treatment they received. He responded candidly, questioning the significance of relinquishing the titles. Additionally, Harry lost his automatic armed police protection in the UK following their departure from official royal duties.
As they prepare to return to the UK, Harry had to formally request police protection, which has reportedly been denied for their upcoming trip. Delays in the security review process have also been a point of contention for Harry. Despite these challenges, the couple is set to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham during their visit, which is largely supported by taxpayers.