A royal commentator has claimed that the Queen had to “put her foot down” to prevent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from keeping their royal titles when they stepped down from royal duties in March last year.

The former 'Suits' star took on a royal HRH title when she married Harry in May 2018. However, the Duke and Duchess took the decision to depart from their royal responsibilities and moved to the US in March 2020.

Analysing the relationship the couple wanted to have with the royal family following their departure, royal commentator Kristen Meinzer suggested: “They essentially wanted to be half in, half out with the Royal Family as far as their royal duties were concerned.

“They still wanted to do some work on behalf of the Crown, but also wanted to be private citizens."

However, also contributing to the Channel 5 documentary, ‘Fergie & Meghan: Inconvenient Royals’, TV personality Lizzie Cundy suggested that the Queen was not in favour of this move.

The friend of Sarah Ferguson claimed: “The Queen then had to put her foot down and say well, ‘if this is what you want, you then can’t use the Royal titles,

“‘And indeed you’ll have to pay back the money – the taxpayer’s money that is – for Frogmore cottage, and you’re not getting money for your security'."

When Harry and Meghan left ‘The Firm’ for the US, there was controversy around the suggestion that their security should continue to be paid for.

In the couple’s revelatory interview with US host Oprah Winfrey that was broadcast in March, the prince noted that he had worried about the safety of his family when their security funding was cut off.

At the time of their departure from the UK, the pair had also just had a significant renovation completed on Frogmore Cottage, where they often resided in Windsor.

The sum cost of these works, reportedly worth over £2 million, was paid back by Harry and Meghan.

This comes as speculation is mounting over when the pair will next visit the UK together. The Queen is yet to meet her great-granddaughter Lilibet, and the baby's christening is reportedly expected to take place in the Autumn.

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