Prince Harry Steps Out for the First Time Since Announcing Royal Resignation
This morning at Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry stepped out for a royal event: Rugby League World Cup 2021 draws. Royal reporters wondered if this was Harry's last royal engagement.
![The Duke Of Sussex Hosts The Rugby League World Cup 2021 Draws](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hNaprLKGyFj5KgtWF8aoML-415-80.jpg)
- This morning at Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry stepped out for a royal event: Rugby League World Cup 2021 draws.
- Harry looks relaxed and happy; Royal reporters wondered if this was Harry's last royal engagement.
- ICYMI, the Queen's (very personal) statement about Meghan and Harry spoke about the plan going forward and the "complex matters" the Royal Family is still working out.
This morning, Prince Harry is at Buckingham Palace, which is hosting the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draws for the men's, women's, and wheelchair tournaments. You can see video of him below, but he's chatting with kids and looks relaxed and happy (which I absolutely love for him). Harry's patron of the Rugby Football League, so it makes sense that he would make a formal appearance—although, of course, the timing is interesting considering his and Meghan's recent resignation as senior royals.
Questions of patronages are probably likely part of the "complex matters" within this new arrangement, as the Queen mentioned earlier this week that it'll take time for the transition to happen fully. Matters like whether Harry will remain patron of certain charities, whether he and Meghan will retain titles, where they'll live permanently (Canada and the U.K. for now, according to the statement) are still being hashed out.
Meanwhile, lest anyone be worried that Meghan and Harry won't be doing charitable events in future (I certainly wasn't, since they've made a commitment to it on their website), it was reported that Meghan made a second appearance in Canada yesterday to talk to a women's rights group to “discuss climate justice for girls and the rights of Indigenous peoples.” So both parents are really busy right now, despite everything going on in their lives.
The rota (reporters from select British outlets who are the go-to sources for royal stories) was there, and some of them wondered aloud if Harry would ever do another royal event like this again:
#PrinceHarry doing what he does best. Chatting to kids, putting them at ease in the garden at Buckingham palace. But is this the last time we’ll see him do a royal engagement like this? pic.twitter.com/yxwA3SMTxsJanuary 16, 2020
Especially since Meghan and Harry have explained they won't be working with the rota system moving forward. Stating the potentially obvious here, but since they're in the middle of a transition, I wonder that we'll at least see Harry at royal events a few more times? But the question's a valid one—this is unprecedented in the Royal Family, and no one on the outside has any clue when the shift will officially take place.
Harry met with the 21 countries taking part in the draws as well as adorable local kids playing (British) football on the grounds. Here's more video if you want to take a look at the event:
Harry arrives to watch children from St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School: pic.twitter.com/tomDLwWvPOJanuary 16, 2020
The kids are so cute, and it's great to see Harry looking happy.
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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.
Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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