Prince Charles favours a slimmed-down version of the monarchy, with fewer minor royals and a small but committed group of seniors working full-time. Among those at the heart of his planned inner-circle was Harry and Meghan, royal author Nigel Cawthorne said.
Mr Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew, Epstein and the Palace, told Express.co.uk: “Charles wouldn’t consider his own son minor royalty.
“He saw that the marriage of the Sussexes brought Harry great happiness, and that it created at the same time a new story for the monarchy that resonated deeply both in Britain but also in the Commonwealth and other English-speaking countries if not the world.
“Only good things could come of that.
“Prince Charles’s ideas about slimming down the monarchy go back for more than a decade and it is unlikely that he had any firm ideas about how Harry’s marriage would fit in as and when.
“But he was delighted with Meghan and, undoubtedly, would have continued to draw the Sussexes in more and more and would have tried to expand their role within the Firm as much as could be expected.
“Of course, when they decided to emigrate all that had to come to an end as there is no such thing as an absentee HRH.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ decision to step down as senior royals and relinquish the use of their full titles and right to carry our royal duties likely modified Prince Charles’s plans.
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However, while the Prince of Wales may have suffered as a father for the outcome of Megxit, Meghan and Harry didn’t deal him a hard blow as a Prince of Wales, according to Mr Cawthorne.
He said: “Although he no doubts regrets their decision as a father, he is not a rigid thinker.
“Both Harry and Meghan are popular but so are other senior members of the Royal Family and the monarchy is not just about popularity.”
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Meghan and Prince Harry initially planned to retain their right to carry out royal duties while stepping down as full-time working royals.
However, following negotiations with the Queen and her aides, Meghan and Harry agreed on paying the price of their titles and name brand to become entirely independent and live abroad.
Prince Charles’s plan for the Crown would help modernise the monarchy and clearly state that being a member of the Royal Family is a privilege but not a granted right that can’t be taken away by the monarch, the royal author had previously told this publication.
Mr Cawthorne said: “The idea of the monarchy he sees, and in which he seems to be supported by William and, increasingly, it would appear the Queen is one that suits the 21st century.
“Like the Windsors’ relatives who reign in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Spain, he prefers to dampen a sense of entitlement among royals.
“Being born as a Windsor is a privilege, but it doesn’t mean that being a certain number in line to throne means an entitlement to housing and other perks of The Firm.
“Furthermore, Prince Charles would feel that such privilege comes with great responsibility.
“Not every royal is equally suited for a public role and others may not want to a life in the spotlights.”