Where will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live?
The royal couple has announced that their time will be split between the UK and North America – although they have yet to share publicly how much time they will spend on each continent or whether their primary North American home will be in the US or Canada. The Duke and Duchess will, however, maintain their official residence at Frogmore Cottage with the permission of the Queen so that “their family will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom”. As for their transatlantic travel arrangements, the royal couple are clear: “Wherever possible and unless advised otherwise on security grounds, their logistical arrangements are undertaken via commercial air carriers, local trains and fuel-efficient vehicles, be it for official or personal travel.”
Which royal duties will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to undertake?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to carve out a “progressive new role” for themselves within the institution of the royal family, while continuing to support their existing patronages. The Duke’s current list of patronages includes the Invictus Games Foundation, Rhino Conservation Botswana, and the Royal Marines, among others, while the Duchess will continue to work with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Mayhew, The National Theatre, and Smart Works. The Duke and Duchess will also retain their roles as the president and vice president, respectively, of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
How will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex support themselves in their “financially independent” state?
In their current position, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are prohibited from earning an income by royal protocol, instead receiving funding for their office expenditure from the Prince of Wales and the Queen’s Sovereign Grant. Now that the royal couple is financially independent, Harry and Meghan plan to establish their own charitable entity – the name of which has yet to be announced. However, it is clear from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s newly launched website that the nonprofit will be focused on tackling issues that have always been at the core of their work, including combating climate change, supporting mental health, and bolstering gender equality on a global scale. Their plans regarding any creative or business ventures, however, have yet to be announced.
What will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship with the media be like in the future?
In addition to becoming financially independent, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will now follow a different protocol when engaging with the media going forward, with the goal being to “share information more freely with members of the public”, particularly via social media. Rather than adhering to the Royal Rota system, whereby the media’s royal correspondents are given access to official engagements with the express permission of the palace, the pair intends to work with “grassroots media organisations” and “young, up-and-coming journalists”, as well as media outlets known for objective news reporting. They will also invite specialist media to cover certain philanthropic work and events in order to widen the reach of their charitable activities. More information can be found on Sussexroyal.com.
Originally published on British Vogue.
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Hayley MaitlandCredit
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