Prince Harry Lost Title Over Comments on US Elections, Report Says

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Oct 06, 2020 03:52 AM EDT

Prince Harry will not be reinstated as head of the Royal Marines after he openly discussed U.S. politics in a video, according to a report.

Harry had to step down as Captain General of the Royal Marine when he officially quit as a senior royal at the end of March.

Reports said that the Palace is not looking to reinstate Harry's position at the end of his 12-month review.

Prince William is set to claim the titles as the new head of the Royal Marines. The move was confirmed by senior Royal Navy sources last night.

It anticipates Harry's 12-month review will find "no reason to alter current arrangements." A royal expert said that Harry's recent comments on the upcoming U.S. presidential election might have contributed to the decision.

"The headline in the paper doesn't mention Harry but it will undoubtedly be a blow to him if this happens," Richard Palmer, a royal correspondent at the Daily Express, said in a report.

Palmer noted that the Sussexes' intervention in the U.S. presidential election was deemed by palace officials to cross the line, no matter how carefully worded and it is likely to have effects.

Meghan Markle and Harry appeared in a video last month, and they seemingly endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden to win the presidential election.

In the video, Meghan urged Americans to vote in the "most important election of our lifetime." Harry, on the other hand, appealed to the public to "reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity."

Royal aides claimed that Harry and Meghan's U.S. election comments violated the terms of the "Megxit" deal the couple has. It was also said that their comments could further risk their links to the monarchy.

Senior courtiers are reportedly discussing how to further distance London royals from the couple.

The couple's comments came in a Time 100 video to go with the publication of this year's list of the most influential people. It has been widely interpreted to be a swipe at President Donald Trump.

Members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral, and under the Sandringham accord - agreed in March when the couple quit their royal duties. The Sussexes vowed that "everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty."

Meanwhile, the couple recently signed a deal with Netflix. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said it "is going to be epic entertainment," and he is so excited about that deal.

"They're smart - they were shopping it around across all of the major companies, and I think we really put together the best complete package, and we're going to do a wide range of entertainment with them," Hastings said in a report.

Hastings noted that he expects big things from Meghan and Harry. The couple will be paid to make exclusive documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows, and children's programming.

Hastings said he thinks it will be some of the most exciting and most viewed content next year.

Hastings also confirmed earlier reports that Meghan has no plans to return to acting. He said the couple has developed a great eye for a story and will be working with them on that basis.