Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Face Being Cut Loose From Royal Family For This Reason, Biographer Predicts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have already lost their patronages, but they may soon be cut loose from the royal family as well, a royal expert has suggested.

During an interview on talkRADIO, royal biographer Angela Levin, author of "Harry: Conversations with the Prince," predicted that Prince Charles may have plans to "cut the monarchy down" to save money, possibly leaving himself, his wife Duchess Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as the only senior royals. This would mean that other royals would have to do paid work and lose their royal patronages and titles.

"Prince Charles has wanted for a very long time to cut the monarchy down to save costs and to make people be worth the money that they got from the taxpayer," Levin said. "I imagine that might be when Harry and Meghan are ditched from being members of the Royal family."

"I think the outer edge, which the Queen has wanted to keep together for a very long time for sentimental reasons, which at her age she didn't really particularly want change which I think is understandable. But he wants to change and I think he will do that," the royal author continued.

When Prince Harry and Markle announced their decision to step back as working royals in January last year, they said they plan to "work towards" being financially independent. Following their royal exit, it is believed that they continued to receive money from Prince Charles under the new agreement while they established themselves, BBC News reported.

However, Prince Harry said in their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March that the royal family had "literally cut me off financially" after he and Markle moved to California and that they were able to make the transition due to the inheritance he received from Princess Diana.

Though it's unclear when exactly they stopped receiving financial help from Prince Charles, it was reported in September 2020 that Prince Harry and Markle officially became "financially independent" from the Prince of Wales after they signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify. A spokesperson for the couple confirmed at the time that the Sussexes paid back the taxpayer money that was used for the renovation of their U.K. residence, Frogmore Cottage.

In February, Queen Elizabeth II stripped the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their patronages and honorary military appointments after they confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the royal family. The decision came 11 months into a year-long review agreed to by Prince Harry and Markle and Buckingham Palace about their future roles.

The Queen had told Prince Harry, who is a veteran and served two tours in Afghanistan, that he could not continue with "the duties that come with a life of public service" after stepping away from the royal family, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

The Sussexes released their own statement in response to the news of the loss of their royal patronages and military titles.

"As evidenced by their work over the past year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Markle said.