The charity work continues for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. But these days, the couple is keeping things casual by using only their first names when referencing themselves.
Yup, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have completely dropped their royal titles from their signature. The duo recently sent a letter to StreetGames, an organization that uses sports to make communities healthier and safer (it was also one of the charities they asked for donations to in place of wedding presents). The note, dated June 19, thanked the organization for their continued work in the community during the current pandemic.
"We wanted to write and express our heartfelt thanks to the team at StreetGames following their support delivering Hubb Community Kitchen meals throughout London. To know that North Paddington Youth Club, Solidarity Sports and St. Matthews Project distributed hundreds of freshly prepared meals across their networks of young people over the last few months is fantastic," part of the letter read.
"The impact of Covid-19 has been a scary and testing time for so many people from all walks of life, all over the world. However, it is in difficult times like these that goodwill to others and community spirit prevails. We have been touched to witness from afar the coming together of the organizations we champion and so deeply care about. The compassion and leadership of young people across the StreetGames network is vital, and it is their kindness and selflessness that inspires others to do better."
"This letter comes with our sincere thanks and best wishes to everyone at StreetGames," they wrote before signing off as "Harry & Meghan.”
In case you thought they already had gotten rid of all their titles, Prince Harry and Markle are actually still allowed to be referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as their Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and Baron and Baroness Kilkeel monikers, which they use while in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.
This isn’t the first time the royal couple opted not to use their official titles. They also used the same signature in their last Instagram post for their now-inactive SussexRoyal account in March. It’s also worth mentioning that they are not permitted to use their HRH titles (although, they still retain them) per the agreement made when the couple decided to step down as senior members of the royal family.
However, it seems both the duke and duchess are content with this decision. During January’s Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Scotland, Prince Harry asked to be referred to by solely his first name.
While introducing him, host Ayesha Hazarika told the crowd, “He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry.”
While we knew this was one of the major changes that comes with no longer being a “senior royal,” we’re still getting used to the casualness of it all. And we stan.