Prince William Has New Royal Title Following Meghan Markle's & Prince Harry's Exit

Stefanie Parker

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With many unexpected changes within the royal family so far in 2020, even more are underway — with the most recent being Prince William’s royal title.

“The Queen has appointed Prince William as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the @churchscotland this year,” read the official Twitter page for Kensington Palace, meaning that the father-of-three will carry out ceremonial duties in Scotland on the monarch’s behalf.

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“During the week of the Assembly, the Lord High Commissioner attends the Assembly to observe the debates. He or she also carries out a programme of engagements to reflect the work of charities and the Church,” according to the official royal website.

This news comes on the heels of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s decision to step down from their royal duties, which has quickly resulted in the couple losing their official royal titles.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” their statement, which was released on Jan. 8, read.

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

While the Queen has been supportive of the couple’s unexpected announcement, it has reportedly put a strain on Meghan’s relationship with her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. According to a recent report, Kate and Meghan have not spoken a word to one another in quite some time.

“Kate and Meghan have not spoken since [the royal exit] happened,” a source told Us Weekly. But the former Suits star isn’t fazed by the Duchess of Cambridge’s behavior — in fact, she feels happier than ever to be separated from the royal family.

“Meghan feels free. She has never been happier. She’s happy to be out of London. She was surprised at how quickly everything happened,” the source confirmed. “They knew they’d have to relinquish their titles, but the pace it happened surprised everyone. The palace thought it would take longer, but they went with it.”

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