LONDON: The news Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will step back from being “senior royals” knocked the Iran crisis and Brexit from the headlines in Britain on Thursday.
The pair announced on Wednesday evening they were quitting to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution” — but reportedly without the approval of Queen Elizabeth II. That prompted immediate headlines of “Megxit” and palace intrigue.
“Queen’s dismay as Harry and Meghan step back from royal life,” screamed the Daily Express.
Every British newspaper, including the Financial Times, put the news on their front pages — with the country’s infamously lurid tabloids getting characteristically creative with their headlines.
“Megxit” screamed top-selling The Sun on the day lawmakers will finally approve Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal to leave the European Union. Its rival the Daily Mirror went with “They didn’t even tell the Queen.’’ The Daily Star opted for “The Royal formerly known as Prince.’’
Broadsheet The Daily Telegraph — purportedly the queen’s newspaper of choice — declared “Harry and Meghan quit the Firm”, using the nickname sometimes given to the family.
The Times said they had quit amid a “palace split.’’
The right-wing Daily Mail echoed the sentiment: “Queen’s fury as Harry and Meghan say: We quit.” Even the FT, which typically reserves its front page for the world’s leading business and economic news, got in on the act. “Royal couple pull out of public eye in search of financial independence,” it headlined.
Media around the world also covered the story prominently.
Germany’s most popular daily Bild declared that the announcement had “fallen like a bomb on the royal family”. “The exciting question is: will Buckingham Palace hit back?” the tabloid asked. —AFP
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