Harry and Meghan ‘demoted’ to be next to Prince Andrew on royal family website
The move comes after Meghan launched her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Harry and Meghan‘s profile on the Royal Family website has been downgraded - with their biography appearing next to Prince Andrew’s.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their royal duties in January 2020, but their profiles were higher on the royal family website until yesterday.
But their details and bio temporarily vanished from the site on Monday night. They reappeared half an hour later at the bottom of the page, alongside the Duke of York, The Daily Mail reported.
A short biography details the couple’s background, the names of their children Archie and Lilibet, and that they have stepped back from their duties.
Clicking through the hyperlink, there is a more detailed account of Prince Harry’s regal history, including information on his ten years in the Armed Forces and charity work.
There is a shorter section about Meghan, detailing her work as an actor and her royal duties, which included becoming a patron of the National Theatre and other charities.
The entry also includes three official statements from Buckingham Palace between 2020 and 2021 detailing their departure.
The Palace also updated Prince Andrew’s profile, which now opens with the official statement from the late Queen to revoke his royal patronages and military affiliations after his affiliation with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, and his settlement of a sexual assault case filed against him.
The disgraced royal will soon be the subject of a new Netflix movie, SCOOP, which will unpack the scandalous BBC Newsnight Interview from November 2019 where journalist Emily Maitlis interrogated the Prince on his relationship with Epstein and sexual abuse allegations.
Critics of the Sussexes have labelled the editing of their online biography as a ‘snub’, however, sources cited in The Daily Mail claimed the move was a “long overdue update”.
The couple, who live in Montecito, California, with their two children Archie and Lilibet, launched a new personal website Sussex.com which welcomed criticism due to the couple’s decision to continue to use their royal titles and coat of arms, despite withdrawing from their duties.
Last week, the Duchess of Sussex launched a new lifestyle brand called American Riviera Orchard in a surprise return to Instagram.
Critics have slammed her decision to use the title Duchess of Sussex, claiming it is a breach of the agreement with the late Queen to not use their titles for commercial gain.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments