Just call me Harry. (Everything Harry & Meghan)

[Jenny]

It's one thing if everyone else calls her Duchess, the press and even people who introduce her at public events will go off script, but is she doing that herself? Introducing herself, asking that she be referred to as such in programs, introductions, publicity? Looks like it, from their Instagram account.

It actually surprises me that she's taken on that identity, given her supposed independence, pride in her own achievements, passion for issues around equality. One might think that now that they have chosen not to be working royals and to build a life in the US, they would only use those titles in formal family situations in the UK, but otherwise either her own name, or her married name (Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor?). After all, even Harry used a civilian-style name when he was in the military.

I think it would make a lot of sense for Meghan Markle or Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor to encourage people to vote, but I tend to agree that it's not the Duchess of Sussex's place.

 

[overedge]

IIRC there was a revolution in the US led by people who didn't like British royalty telling them what to do

 

[Vagabond]

Plain old Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor sounds so nice and unpretentious.

 

[canbelto]

The Queen is in her 90s. Charles is 70 years. old. It’s not Guaranteed either will be around in the next decade. If something where to happen to William and Kate too who do you think would become regent?
I mean of course it would be an absolute tragedy if Harry did.....

Meghan was introduced as Duchess of Suzzex she should not be commenting on our election while using British title.
She should have been introduced as Meghan Markle or Meghan Mountabotten-Windsor.
And her statement wasn’t a neutral everyone regardless of where you stand vote. That would have been politically neutral I wouldn’t have a problem with that. Although still should have not been introduced as a Duchess.

Going to vote is not political. It's the right of citizens. Also, Sussex, not Suzzex.

 

[canbelto]

Also, @becca you;re just offended because you're a super duper Republican and somehow this election cycle the mere act of voting is ... unpatriotic against Trump.

 

[Jenny]

Going to vote is not political. It's the right of citizens.

In principle, it's not political. Just like the postal service is not political at all, right?

Welcome to 2020.

 

[canbelto]

In principle, it's not political. Just like the postal service is not political at all, right?

Welcome to 2020.

Yeah. I got a package in the mail today. How political!

 

[Yehudi]

Meghan is a US citizen. And has the right to vote but she should not be using her British title in order to do so. I mean Americans literally fought a war and died because they didn’t want members of the British royal family telling them what to do politically.

You forgot the part that they didn’t want to be governed without having representation. Isn’t the purpose of voting so we would have someone represent our needs?

 

[Oreo]

Did she really grow up poor? According to Wikipedia Meghan attended private schools, and while this profile is pretty trashy I don't see any reason for it to misrepresent her father's finances.

Her father won $750,000 in 1990 in the California State Lottery, which he used in part to pay for his daughter's education. You can almost double that in today's dollars. His brother arranged for her internship at the US embassy in Buenos Aires.

 

[becca]

Also, @becca you;re just offended because you're a super duper Republican and somehow this election cycle the mere act of voting is ... unpatriotic against Trump.

I am not a super duper Republican I didn’t even vote for Trump four years ago. I’m not a fan and understand why people don’t like him.

But Meghan shouldn’t appear to be taking sides while using a foreign title.

in fact if Harry where to ever become a US Citizen he would have to renounce his title.

 

[Lorac]

I am not a super duper Republican I didn’t even vote for Trump four years ago. I’m not a fan and understand why people don’t like him.

But Meghan shouldn’t appear to be taking sides while using a foreign title.

in fact if Harry where to ever become a US Citizen he would have to renounce his title.

Only if he actually renounced his UK citizenship - which I very much doubt he would do. He can hold both US and UK citizenship at the same time like many others including myself. I suppose whilst in the US - if he does become a US citizenship - he wouldn't/shouldn't use his title but in the UK he could.

 

[becca]

Only if he actually renounced his UK citizenship - which I very much doubt he would do. He can hold both US and UK citizenship at the same time like many others including myself. I suppose whilst in the US - if he does become a US citizenship - he wouldn't/shouldn't use his title but in the UK he could.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/amp31969809/prince-harry-could-lose-royal-titles-if-he-becomes-an-american-citizen/

The Us constitution clearly states If someone wants to become a naturalized citizen they have to renounce hereditary titles. It’s not like this wasn’t an issue at the time of the Revolution now Meghan was Born a US citizen but Harry would absolutely have to renounce.

 

[Lemonade20]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/amp31969809/prince-harry-could-lose-royal-titles-if-he-becomes-an-american-citizen/

The Us constitution clearly states If someone wants to become a naturalized citizen they have to renounce hereditary titles. It’s not like this wasn’t an issue at the time of the Revolution now Meghan was Born a US citizen but Harry would absolutely have to renounce.

is it possible for Harry to live in the US without giving up his UK citizenship? I’m heading different things like he has to apply for US citizenship to continue living there and giving up his Royal titles

 

[becca]

is it possible for Harry to live in the US without giving up his UK citizenship? I’m heading different things like he has to apply for US citizenship to continue living there and giving up his Royal titles

No he can have permanent residency and no citizenship although will be subject to worldwide taxation I think our tax situation awful.

For the record calls to strip Meghan are ridiculous she is still new to this. But she really shouldn’t be using her title like that. Actress Meghan can talk US politics. The Duchess shouldn’t.

 

[Vagabond]

is it possible for Harry to live in the US without giving up his UK citizenship? I’m heading different things like he has to apply for US citizenship to continue living there and giving up his Royal titles

He can probably get permanent residency easily as the husband of an American citizen. The bigger problem is that at some point, he will be subject to dual taxation on his income.

 

[canbelto]

No he can have permanent residency and no citizenship although will be subject to worldwide taxation I think our tax situation awful.

For the record calls to strip Meghan are ridiculous she is still new to this. But she really shouldn’t be using her title like that. Actress Meghan can talk US politics. The Duchess shouldn’t.

For the last time. Saying people should vote is not "talking politics."

 

[overedge]

For the record calls to strip Meghan are ridiculous she is still new to this.

Um, I'm sure she learned quite a lot about when and how titles can be used when she and Harry were negotiating their exit from royal duties. She is by no means "new to this".

I'm also pretty sure that she would know a lot about this just from being part of the Royal family.

 

[taf2002]

She didn’t say who to vote for, but it’s still not right she’s using her Duchess of Sussex title to tell people to go vote. It’s like she’s speaking for the royal family

There are thousands of people with titles in the UK. Are they barred from being political? NO! Duchess is not a royal title. And even if it were SHE DID NOT MAKE A POLICAL STATEMENT, she encouraged voting.

Piers Morgan has had his knife in H&M for ages but especially in Meghan. Nice to see all you jumping on his bandwagon. I guess birds of a feather.....

 

[overedge]

There are thousands of people with titles in the UK. Are they barred from being political? NO!

The UK parliamentary system has a decision-making body entirely made up of people with titles (the House of Lords). Just saying...

 

[kittyjake5]

Meghan and Gloria Stenheim

https://people.com/royals/meghan-ma...-voting-representation-guest-appearance-dogs/

 

[ballettmaus]

He can probably get permanent residency easily as the husband of an American citizen. The bigger problem is that at some point, he will be subject to dual taxation on his income.

Germany, at least, has an agreement with the US so that a German citizen living in the US only pays taxes in the US (that includes money that they earn in Germany).

 

[taf2002]

My Canadian husband only pays tax to the country where he earned the money. So he hasn't paid Canadian tax for years.

 

[Vagabond]

Germany, at least, has an agreement with the US so that a German citizen living in the US only pays taxes in the US (that includes money that they earn in Germany).

The U.K. does not. That's why Boris Johnson, who was born in New York City, relinquished his citizenship a few years ago.

 

[ballettmaus]

The U.K. does not. That's why Boris Johnson, who was born in New York City, relinquished his citizenship a few years ago.

Oh, that really sucks for Harry.

What about Meghan, by the way? Is it known if she became a British citizen before the wedding?

 

[Vagabond]

What about Meghan, by the way? Is it known if she became a British citizen before the wedding?

As was mentioned in an earlier thread, she needs to live in the U.K. for a certain amount of time (which would be less now that she is married to a British citizen) to be eligible for citizenship and still hasn't lived there long enough.

 

[ribbon]

The Steinem video is copyrighted by Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the corner, so Meghan does apparently like the title, which is strange. I think she’d be far better off as Meghan Markle talking to Steinem rather than someone who promotes her husband’s inherited rank...it just seems like a huge disconnect in her message about women and empowerment (And the fact that she claims to be happy to be back in the USA.) Plus, it’s not as if no one knows the name Meghan Markle...Kate is often Kate Middleton in the press, for example.

 

[starrynight]

Meghan is brave wading into USA politics on the brink of one of the most divided and nasty elections ever. Angels would fear to tread...

For all the talk of Harry moving to the USA to protect her, I think that voluntarily entering the uncompromising vipers nest of politics will be far more concerning and intense than some tabloid articles and fights about tiaras and shopping trips.

Anyone who participates in USA politics needs armour plated thick skin. Meghan and Harry seem to be very sensitive to any criticism or intrusion, so it's a peculiar choice.

 

[taf2002]

When Meghan runs for office or promotes any particular candidate then it will be true that she is participating in politics. That hasn't happened.

 

[Jenny]

When I lived and worked in the US as a Canadian citizen I paid US taxes first, then I had to file in Canada as well and pay extra because the rates were higher. What I had already paid in the US was credited. I guess the experience is different for others, perhaps depending on one's status in the US, whether you maintain a home in another country (as I did) and your income levels/tax bracket.

Anyway, and again because others are repeating it like it's fact, I agree that voting is a basic right of any democratic society. However, in recent elections and especially this year when you have the President and other elected officials and members of his party actively trying to prevent people from voting, then yes it is absolutely a political issue.

Encouraging people to vote - now - is encouraging people to fight for the right that the President and other elected officials and members of the Republican Party are attempting (and in many cases, succeeding) in taking away. That's taking a side, that's political.

 

[starrynight]

Gosh from seeing everything the USA members post on here, it seems to me that everything and anything to do with an election (or even anything) in the USA is political.

It's so intense. To take Meghan's really quite aggressive words 'if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem' and 'if you are complacent, you are complicit'. It's so heavy and in your face. But I have learnt that level of intensity is just normal for USA politics. It's a culture shock for me, but I've learnt on here that's how it is in the USA. Honestly, I just find it all really scary. No idea why anyone who didn't need to be involved in it would choose to do so.

In my country a talk on going to vote (that wasn't designed to be partisan) would be about making sure you didn't miss the bake sale and the sausage sizzle. (Or get fined because it's compulsory anyway).