Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be thriving [1] after stepping down from the royal family [2]. But the question still remains: who will take over their patronages [3]?
Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's royal exit, the couple were stripped from their honorary military appointments and royal patronages, which included the Royal Marines, The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, the Rugby Football League, and the National Theatre. The patronages were returned to Queen Elizabeth II with the intention of being redistributed among members of the royal family.
As of February, Kate Middleton was named the new royal patron [4] of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League. But there's also rumors that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne will be taking over some of the remaining organizations [5].
Despite being stripped from most of their patronages, Harry still serves as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation [6] and Meghan remains patron of both Smart Works [7] and Mayhew [8]. As we wait for more developments, keep reading to see which of Meghan and Harry's former patronages have already been taken over.
Kate Middleton
Following Harry's exit, the Duchess of Cambridge was named the new royal patron of the Rugby Football Union [10] and Rugby Football League. "I am so thrilled to become Patron of the @TheRFL and @EnglandRugby," Kate announced in February. "Two fantastic organisations who are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish." Harry became vice patron of the RFU in 2010 before eventually taking over as patron in December 2016.
Princess Anne
According to a senior military source who spoke to "The Sunday Times [11]," Anne is set to replace Harry as the new captain general of the Royal Marines. "Princess Anne has already done a lot with us over the years," the source told the publication. "She's really well connected to the navy and, as a consequence, has a soft spot for the Royal Marines. We are very comfortable with her, especially given her outstanding sporting background." If Anne is appointed captain general, she'll be the first woman to ever occupy the position.
As a marine veteran himself [12], Harry was appointed the role [13] in 2017 after Prince Philip stepped down [14] from all of his royal duties. Philip held the position for 64 years before it was passed down to Harry.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
According to "The Times," the Duchess of Cornwall is set to take over Meghan's role as patron of the National Theatre [15]. Queen Elizabeth II will reportedly give Camilla the role in the coming months.
In January 2019, the Queen passed down the patronage [16] to Meghan as a continuation of her efforts to scale back on her royal engagements and introduce the world to the new faces of the monarchy.