WINDSOR, England — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, will stop using their loftiest royal titles, give up state funding and repay at least $3 million in taxpayer money used to refurbish their official residence at Windsor Castle under an agreement announced by Buckingham Palace on Saturday. However civil, the agreement codifies one of the most dramatic ruptures within the British royal family since King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry an American woman, Wallis Simpson. It is a spectacle that has enthralled and divided Britain, overshadowing even the country’s impending departure from the European Union, and provoking conversations around the world about race, privilege and tradition. The couple plan to spend a majority of their time outside Britain, initially in Canada but later likely in the United States as well, according to officials at the palace. They will continue to carry out limited duties on behalf of the queen and will retain another of their royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Source: New York Times January 18, 2020 18:45 UTC