Friday January 10, 2020 ~ VICTORIA
~ West Shore Voice News
After spending a six-week winter holiday season vacation on south Vancouver Island over Christmas 2019 and into new year 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — have announced they are moving to Canada. Indeed, it appears, to the Greater Victoria area of Vancouver Island.
This week, Harry and Meghan dropped a bombshell upon the British Royal Family, announcing in social media that they would be striking out on an independent journey — being loyal to The Queen but aiming to achieve “financial independence”.
Presently Prince Harry receives funds from Britain for royal duties, as well as an income from the Cornwall duchy (a massive estate owned by Harry’s father Charles, Prince of Wales, who is first in line to the throne). Harry has an inheritance from his mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and also from the Queen. Meghan has her own wealth of about $2 million from her previous career in acting.
Now that Harry’s older brother William, Duke of Cambridge (age 37), has three children with Kate Middleton the Duchess of Cambridge, Harry is now sixth in line to the British Throne. It is highly unlikely in his lifetime he would ever become king, or even close to the top of the hierarchy.
The Queen is 93 years old. For public events she is increasingly represented by Prince Charles (age 71) and other members of the royal family; the Queen’s husband Prince Phillip has retired from public life. She is reportedly not pleased with the pull-out of Harry and Meghan from senior royal duties; already the figures of Harry and Meghan in the Wax Museum in London have been relocated to the other side of the room.
Harry and Meghan’s new young family has begun with Archie, who was born in May 2019. Archie reportedly remained in Canada while his parents returned to London to host a thank you reception at Canada House, just ahead of their Sussex Royal announcement online.
Queen Elizabeth II has now directed Prince Charles and Prince William to sort out an agreement with Prince Harry, in a matter of days, not weeks.
Harry is the founder of the Invictus Games that will next be held in 2022. Victoria is on the short list of locations that could host the games.
The Invictus Games are an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in nine sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing. The games are held every two years.
There are several stadiums in the Greater Victoria area including at the University of Victoria at Westhills in Langford.