Even after Prince Harry branded me “execrable” in his memoir, Spare, I have never called for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to be stripped of their royal titles.
The dukedom was conferred by the late Queen on their wedding day – for better or worse – and revoking it would necessitate a formal act of Parliament.
Yet with their return to Britain, a crucial question resurfaces: why cling to these monarchical designations while publicly condemning everything the institution represents?
If “unconsciously biased” members of the royal family genuinely questioned Archie’s skin tone before he was even born, why eagerly claim the title of “prince” for him? Likewise, why name Lilibet after her great-grandmother and insist on styling her a princess if “The Firm” is so inherently evil that it almost drove Meghan to the brink of suicide?
Their decision to step back on British soil provides much-needed clarity. In their 2021 Oprah interview, 2022 Netflix docuseries, and Spare, the couple consistently cited media intrusion and the withdrawal of official royal security as grave risks to their safety and mental health. Returning directly to the epicentre of that distress indicates a calculated choice, confirming what most of us have been saying all along – that their royal identity remains their primary currency.
When Megxit unfolded in 2020, the official narrative centred on achieving “financial independence” while raising their young family away from the relentless UK tabloid spotlight in California. To that end, they sought to build a US-based commercial and philanthropic venture spanning Archewell, Spotify, and Netflix. They made oodles of cash and Meghan has now expanded her As Ever jam-making empire into a lucrative form of upmarket online influencing.
However, their return to Britain does confront a fundamental reality: that their personal brand is and always will be inextricably linked to the very institution they spent six years criticising.
Enrolling their children in an English prep school further underscores a desire to maintain ties to their royal heritage. After all, what is the value of holding royal titles if one remains entirely detached from the monarchy?
Ultimately, they cannot fully disconnect from the House of Windsor without risking total irrelevance. Despite repeatedly insisting on privacy, they haven’t ever wanted to be anonymous. What they want is maximum exposure, provided it is all overwhelmingly positive. It’s all they’ve ever wanted – the good publicity but not the bad.
The contradiction has always existed, but it stands out far more sharply on British soil, where there is a clear distinction between celebrity and royalty. So now they’re back in Blighty, Harry and Meghan face a stark choice: drop the titles or drop the grievances.
The Sussexes can’t have it both ways: if the Crown is the problem, why remain so determined to cash in on its name?
Camilla Tominey is associate editor and executive editor of The Telegraph, London, and a regular columnist.
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Camilla Tominey is associate editor and executive editor of The Telegraph, London.