The decision by Los Angeles-based Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to wade into the upcoming U.S. election by offering voting advice was a “violation” of their “Megxit” deal with the Queen and could further jeopardise their links to the monarchy, it was claimed Sunday by senior royal aides.
According to the Times newspaper, courtiers have been canvassing how the royal household could separate itself further from the pair.
The distance is required after the couple called on voters in America to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” in “the most important election of our lifetime” — comments widely interpreted as a swipe at President Donald Trump, as Breitbart News reported. Watch below:
The two spoke during an ABC broadcast special unveiling of the 2020 TIME 100, TIME’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people on Tuesday — National Voter Registration Day.
Markle is about to make history as the first British royal family member to publicly be known to exercise their right to vote, noted TIME.
Trump slammed Markle from the White House podium after the video message was released, while offering an observation of his own on the couple and their marriage.
“I’m not a fan of hers,” Trump said of the actress. “I would say this – and she has probably heard that – I wish a lot of luck to Harry because he’s going to need it.”
Although Prince Harry will be unable to vote as he is not a U.S. citizen, he feels less constrained when it comes to offering his own advice on climate and other matters.
Members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral. Under the Sandringham accord — resolved in January before they resigned as working royals in March and moved to America — the Sussexes pledged “everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty.”
Advising U.S. voters on how to allocate their ballots does not fall within those parameters, critics claim, with one royal aide quoted by the Times going further, adding their comments last week had broken their promise to abstain from public comment: “The [royal] family are all wringing their hands, thinking: where is this going and does this abide by the deal to uphold the values of the Queen? The feeling is it’s a violation of the agreement.”
Prince Harry’s hopes of resuming his links with the Royal Marines and other military posts are now under threat, according to those familiar with the discussions in the royal household.
The Sussexes’ arrangement will be reviewed after a year by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, the Times confirmed.