Experts: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to ‘step back’ from senior royal duties
The Queen has agreed to allow Prince Harry and Meghan to move part-time to Canada during a “period of transition” after senior royals had “constructive discussions” Monday. “Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family,” the Queen said in a statement. (CTV News)
Here are some experts from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue :
Peter McNally, Professor Emeritus (Retired), School of Information Studies and Director, History of McGill Project
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped down as members of the Royal Family to become private citizens, if their celebrity status will permit them to become financially independent. Despite her obvious disappointment, the Queen has expressed affection for them and their son, Archie, and affirmed their place within her personal family. One wonders, will their new lifestyle fulfill Harry and Meghan’s desire for less press intrusion?”
Peter McNally is a Professor Emeritus (Retired), School of Information Studies and Director of the History of McGill Project. Having dedicated his academic career to the history of McGill University, he also considers himself a ‘self-proclaimed palace watcher’.
peter.mcnally [at] mcgill.ca (English)
Daniel Béland, James McGill Professor, Department of Political Science and Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada
“The story of Prince Harry et Meghan Markle moving to Canada is much more about celebrity culture than about institutional issues for the very simple reason that Prince Harry does not play any constitutional role in our country.”
Daniel Béland is Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada and James McGill Professor of Political Science. Since 2012, he has held the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy (Tier 1) at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He specializes in the fields of Canadian and comparative politics, as well as the study of public policy, including social policy.
daniel.beland [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)
Brian Cowan, Associate Professor, Department of History and Classical Studies
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have demonstrated the high value of privacy in an age in which intrusions into private lives has become routine.”
Brian Cowan is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Classical Studies and holds the Canada Research Chair in Early Modern British History. He studies the social and cultural history of ideas in early modern Britain and Europe.
brian.cowan2 [at] mcgill.ca (English)
