Charities hope they won’t be ditched by their royal patrons Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they announced plan to resign as senior royals
- Prince Harry is patron of 14 charities and organisations while Meghan has four
- The couple have said they would continue to honour their charitable patronages
- But they also announced plans to set up their own ‘charitable entity’
Charities kept in the dark about Harry and Meghan’s plans say they hope the couple will continue to support them.
Prince Harry is royal patron of 14 charities and organisations while Meghan has four.
The couple have said they would continue to honour their patronages, which include the Rugby Football Union and the National Theatre.
Prince Harry is royal patron of 14 charities and organisations while Meghan has four
But they also announced plans to set up their own ‘charitable entity’, raising questions about just how much time they will be able to devote to the others once it is launched later this year.
Yesterday, charities admitted they had not been told in advance of the announcement.
Veronica German of the Dolen Cymru Charity – which fosters links between Wales and Lesotho – said: ‘We have no idea [what it will mean], we know as much as anyone else. We hope very much he will stay as patron but it’s too early to say what will happen.’
Map Ives, director of Rhino Conservation Botswana, said: ‘It’s early days, but I would hope – no, I am sure – he will continue to give us his great support.
‘I know him personally I haven’t spoken to him about this yet but I am pretty certain that he will continue to give us his support.’
Prince Harry is also Honorary Air Force Commandant of RAF Base Honington and Captain General of the Royal Marines while the Duchess of Sussex was made patron of the four organisations 12 months ago.
The couple have said they would continue to honour their patronages, which include the Rugby Football Union and the National Theatre
Two of those – the National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth Universities – were passed on by the Queen herself, who had held the roles for 45 and 33 years respectively.
Meghan also took on the patronage of animal charity Mayhew and Smart Works, which helps unemployed women and for which she later designed a collection of clothes.
The Ministry of Defence said the duke’s patronage is a matter ‘for the Palace’ to comment on.
Prince Harry is the patron of WellChild, which offers supports to chronically ill children and their families. A spokesman said: ‘From our perspective it’s business as usual. They have already said they are honouring their patronages.’
Other organisations with links to the Sussexes such as Sentebale – the charity Harry founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho – Mayhew, Smart Works, TheLondon Marathon and African Parks, did not comment.