Megxit: Thomas Markle accuses Meghan, Harry of ‘destroying, cheapening’ royal family

Meghan Markle’s estranged father said the couple are turning the monarchy into ‘a Walmart with a crown on it’

This comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex agreed to drop their royal titles and pay their own way in life

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Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have stepped back from being active members of the royal family, giving up their titles and public funding by the queen. Photo: AP

Published: 10:09pm, 19 Jan 2020Updated: 11:41pm, 19 Jan 2020

Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, accused his daughter of “cheapening” the British royal family in part of an interview released a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy.

The palace announced on Saturday that the couple would no longer use their “Royal Highness” titles, as Harry’s late mother Princess Diana did when she divorced Prince Charles in 1996, and would pay their own way in life.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the whole country wished them “the very best” with the new arrangement.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth is seen with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018. She agreed to their decision to step back from royal duties and ‘start building a happy and peaceful new life’. Photo: AP

“As I said before … I was sure that the royal family, which has been around a very long time, will find a way forward,” Johnson told Sky News in Germany, where he was attending a summit on Libya.

The monarchy was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when Harry and his American former actress wife announced that they wanted to reduce their official duties and spend more time in North America.

Saturday’s announcement from the palace followed discussions in recent days between Queen Elizabeth, her family and officials over how this would work in practice for Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38. The Daily Telegraph called it “the hardest Megxit possible”.

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