Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle may not be official members of the institution, but they are still part of the royal family—whether they like it or not. And it is for this reason that they will be receiving jubilee medals to honour Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year as a British monarch.
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Jubilee medals
To commemorate her momentous achievement, the Queen will be handing out jubilee medals to all those who have served the monarchy and the country.
Although the final list of recipients has not been finalised, GOV.UK statesthat it will be given out to members of the royal family who have worked for the institution for at least one year. George and Victoria Cross recipients, along with people who have completed five years in the police, fire, and emergency services will also receive the token.
There has been a lot of speculation that Prince Andrew, who was recently stripped of his HRH title, would not be given the jubilee medal. Furthermore, there were claims that Prince Harry, who stepped down from his position in 2020, would also be deprived of the honour. However, a royal source has said that this may not be the case. They said (as quoted by Mail Online):
In common with previous jubilees, it is likely that wider members of the Royal Family would receive the Platinum Jubilee medal... they are funded privately and are commemorative.' It is understood that Andrew, Harry and Meghan would be entitled to wear their medals with 'civilian dress' if they are invited to an event where the dress code says 'decorations.’
Read more:
⋙ How to enter the Queen’s Platinum Pudding Competition
⋙ Prince Andrew: Here is everything he will lose as a 'private citizen'
⋙ Prince Harry thinks bringing his children to the UK would be dangerous
Stripped of another title
The two princes may be included in the list of recipients, but insiders believe the Palace is looking to take one of their last standing titles away from them—Counsellor of State.
Only four people currently possess this title: Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew. This position allows them to take over the Queen’s duties should she be incapable of doing so. But royal experts say that this could put the monarchy in a difficult position. Another source said:
It is a genuine problem that the Palace is looking to address. Can you imagine the Duke of York having to sign official documents, for example, because the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge were both abroad, and the Queen became ill? It's not an exaggeration to say it could put the monarchy in jeopardy.
So far, Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the speculation.
