How Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Break Away From Taxpayer Support
Following their announcement that their stepping back from many of their royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also suggested that they'd like to become financially independent. The couple have made it clear that they don't want to rely on public funds in their new lives, but that may be easier said than done.
On their website, the pair have already indicated that they plan to stop taking advantage of the Sovereign Grant, which is money set aside by the British treasury for the royals.
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Last year, that fund totaled more than 80 million pounds, or more than $100 million. Many of the details of their new arrangement still need to be ironed out, but the couple does plan to use the fund for any trips that are requested by the monarchy, and they also plan to continue using Frogmore Cottage as their home in the UK if they're allowed.
The cottage underwent heavy renovations with taxpayer money, so there is some controversy over the couple's decision to keep it.
On top of funding from the Sovereign Grant, it's also believed that Harry collected a substantial amount of money from the Duchy of Cornwall estate through his father Prince Charles. That fund was established by King Edward III in 1337.
Charles is barred from selling off any of the assets in the fund, but he does use the money for many of his and his wife Camilla's activities, as well as for those of his two children and their spouses.
It remains unclear whether Charles will continue to supply money from this fund, which is not based in taxpayer money, to Harry and Meghan. The income made on the property last year was more than 20 million pounds.
In discussing the shakeup with Fox News, Shannon Felton Spence, a former employee of the British government, compared them to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Both princesses hold jobs outside of the royal family, and they earn their own income as a result of that decision.
"It ultimately got worked out and they are not considered senior members of the royal family, neither are the rest of the queen's grandchildren," Spence said.
"So they have jobs -- real, professional, paid jobs outside of the royal family but they still live on royal family properties and Eugenie still had a royal wedding. And every once in a while, the queen will call them out to do sort of an engagement, and they've kept the title, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. So that is not something that's unprecedented."
