The Royal pain

It sounded almost comical, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — announcing a Declaration of Independence — they would “step back” as senior Royals, which comes close to abdicating their Royalty. Call it a Megxit in which they would seek to become financially independent and carve out a “Progressive” role within the Royal hierarchy. Progressive and Royalty are a contradiction in terms.

Are they planning a Go Fund Me page? Probably not. Does Harry have any job skills other than military and diplomacy and the gift of looking great in a fancy uniform? Does Meghan go back to a cheesy TV series? If so, will Harry be a stay-at-home dad?

They can’t count on his grandmom (the Queen) to babysit. By all accounts, the Queen was distressed not to have been notified in advance. That was rude and the move by the kids reveals a schism in the Royal household, with Harry being at odds with his elder brother (and future King) Prince William.

So why do we care? Many of us don’t, but even more Americans have a strange fascination with the Royal Family. I know that locally for decades any time the Daily News put the Royals on Page One — even before the adored Princess Diana — street sales would go up. (Other circulation drivers — Muhammad Ali and Frank Rizzo).

Princess Diana is the unseen hand behind her son and daughter-in-law’s decision. As we know, innocent teenager Diana was led into a false marriage, which made her miserable while in it, and then was mercilessly hounded (to her death) by the media after she (like the U.S.A.) declared her independence from the Royal Pains.

The ferocious British media has been intrusive, and sometimes unkind to Meghan, and her husband does not want to her to suffer as did his mother. Good bloke.

At first blush, being born to Royalty sounds like a good deal, the best of everything — schools, homes, food, clothing, jobs — with endless public appearances and scrutiny being the price for a Royal, guaranteed lifetime income.

Harry and Meghan have decided the cost is too great.