Question Time: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should ‘immediately stop taking public money’, says audience member ‘I’m perfectly happy to see them live their own life, do whatever they want, they are humans like we all are’

A member of the audience on Question Time on Thursday suggested that Meghan and Harry should “immediately stop taking public money” after their decision to take a step back from the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess announced on Wednesday that they plan to withdraw from royal duties and work towards being “financially independent” after “after many months of reflection and internal discussions”.

But the royal couple, who have said they want to change their relationship with the media, will continue to receive public funds for their housing and security.

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One man in the Question Time audience said: “I’m perfectly happy to see them live their own life, do whatever they want, they are humans like we all are.”

‘Shouldn’t they immediately stop taking public money’

“But shouldn’t they immediately stop taking public money as they step aside instead of, I think they said today, move towards that?”

This question was put to Home Office minister Brandon Lewis by host Fiona Bruce who replied that it would “not be appropriate” to comment on the security arrangements for the royals.

He said: “All protection for the royal family and otherwise is done on a risk-assessed basis. It is done independently, it does come within my remit but I’m afraid it would be inappropriate for me to comment.”

But he added: “One of the things we have seen throughout the history of our country is that royal family has evolved over the centuries and over the generations to reflect the country as it is at that given time and I am sure we will continue to see that.”

‘She is in Canada’

The Duchess of Sussex has returned to Canada as the Queen and other senior royals took decisive action and ordered their teams to find a “workable solution” to Harry and Meghan’s future roles.

The couple had only recently arrived in the UK after spending an extended festive break in the Commonwealth country but the duchess is now back with baby son Archie who remained behind, reportedly looked after by a nanny and friends of the duchess.

A spokeswoman for the duchess said: “I can confirm she is in Canada.”

A Buckingham Palace source said the Queen, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge have asked aides to work “at pace” with governments and the Sussex Household to find a solution to the couple’s plans to step back from their frontline roles as members of the monarchy and become financially independent royals.

It is understood Meghan was always due to return to Canada after a brief return trip to the UK. A source told the PA news agency “she came back to attend some meetings and then went back”.

‘A transactional arrangement’

‘We like to see a soap opera, we like to be provided with entertainment’ This #bbcqt audience member says people have a ‘transactional relationship’ with the Royal Family. pic.twitter.com/AZfR1Boubq — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) January 9, 2020

One woman on Question Time said that the UK had a “transactional” relationship with the royals and expected “a soap opera” for the entertainment.

She said: “Isn’t the truth of the matter that everybody now looks on the monarchy as a bargain, and unless we get our pound of flesh from the press, and in terms of how much money they bring into the country, nobody actually believes that that family should be allowed to rule the country as right.

“We all look at it as a transactional arrangement now.

“In a way, I think we’re wrong. But I think also the transaction is in terms of how many stories would they give to the press, the press turned on Megan, when she stopped providing so many photo opportunities for the baby, and very quickly, they turn on her.

“And I think we like to see a soap opera, we like to be provided with entertainment.

“And if we don’t get that entertainment, the country only is governed by our agreement, and we feel we have to get value from them as entertainment as well as money.”

Additional reporting by Press Association.