Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Receive Royal Demotion On Family Website, Along With Prince Andrew
By Favour Adegoke on October 1, 2022 at 11:00 AM EDT
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been demoted on the British royal family website on a list of living royal family members. The list was recently altered after Queen Elizabeth's death, removing the late monarch's name and pushing Harry and Markle down, alongside another controversial member, Prince Andrew.
Harry and Meghan were previously listed above the Queen's first cousins but are below them in the new lineup. They're now at the bottom of the list, ranking just above Andrew, who is the last. All three royals were demoted due to their recent controversies with the Crown.
The couple was moved because of their decision to step back as senior royals in 2020, while Andrew was moved because of his sexual assault controversies. The family drama was also apparent at the Queen's funeral when Harry and Andrew were prevented from wearing their military uniforms.
Read on to find out more.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Been Moved To The Bottom Of The List
The British royal family website lists the royal family's living members and their biographies. On September 28th, the list was updated, pushing Harry, Meghan, and Andrew to the bottom. l The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now just above Prince Andrew, who occupies the last spot.
The change is one of several updates to the royal family website after Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8th. The new list has removed the late monarch and altered the order and titles of the family members still on the list.
Before Queen Elizabeth II passed, she occupied the top spot on the list, a position that now belongs to King Charles III (previously the Prince of Wales). After the King is his wife, Queen Consort Camilla (previously the Duchess of Cornwall), Prince William, and Princess Kate.
The Couple Were Previously Placed Higher Than The Late Queen's Cousins
Per Us Weekly, after the King, Prince William, and their wives, the list continued with Queen Elizabeth's kids. The order was Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Countess Sophie, and Prince Andrew. Harry and Meghan followed, ranking above the Queen's first cousins.
The order for the cousins was Princess Alexandra and her husband, Duke Michael, and Prince Richard and his wife, Duchess Birgitte. At the bottom were Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who aren't present on the new list. The new order has all the cousins above Harry, Meghan, and Andrew.
Why Were The Royals Demoted?
The demotion came due to the trio's controversies with the Crown. In 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their positions as senior royals and moved to America with their kids. Andrew, however, was stripped of his royal status after his sexual assault controversies and the lawsuit from Virginia Guiffre.
In January, Buckingham Palace confirmed the stripping of Andrew's titles. The statement read, "With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Been Treated Similarly As Prince Andrew
Despite the stark difference in their controversies, Harry and Meghan have received very similar treatment to Andrew from the public and the palace itself. Both Harry and Andrew were prevented from wearing their military uniforms to Queen Elizabeth's state funeral despite their extensive military service.
The announcement sparked public outrage on Harry's behalf, causing the Archewell co-founder to release a statement. It read per People, "[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honoring his grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
Shortly after the public backlash, Harry received special permission to wear his uniform for the Queen's grandchildren's vigil over her coffin at Westminster Hall. However, the late monarch's initials were absent from the shoulder section of his jacket.
