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Meghan Markle's former role as Royal Patron of Britain's National Theatre has been given by Queen Elizabeth II to Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, it has been announced.
The role was one of the official titles held by Meghan as a full-time working member of the royal family. The patronage was returned to the Queen as part of the terms of Prince Harry and Meghan's stepping-down as working royals in 2020.
Meghan was awarded the prestigious patronage by the Queen in 2019 and, as a professional actress before her marriage to Prince Harry, she took a keen interest in the National Theatre's work.
The duchess came under fire though, for only officially visiting the organization once during her tenure and reports of a rift between Meghan and the National Theatre circulated during the tumultuous "Megxit" period.
These rumors were disputed by the charity's then-Artistic Director Rufus Norris. Speaking to The Telegraph in February 2020, he said claims that the charity was on anything but good terms with the duchess were "a complete fiction, there was no fuming. We are very happy with the relationship".
On whether the royal's living abroad would jeopardize her patronage of the National Theatre, Norris continued: "From our perspective, I don't think it's going to change anything...She is still very engaged, the conversations are regular and ongoing, there are ideas we are exploring."
However, on the day the interview with Norris was published, a surprise statement was released from Buckingham Palace reading: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.
"Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family."
As an important royal patronage given by the Queen, it meant that Meghan would have to step away from her role at the National Theatre. In the month following the announcement she paid a private trip to the organization in what would be her last visit to Britain to date.
The patronage has been left vacant for two years, arguably some of the most difficult in recent history for Britain's theatre and entertainment communities with the COVID-19 pandemic devastating the industry.
While there were no official talks regarding who would take over the Sussex's returned patronages Camilla, wife of Prince Charles, appeared a natural fit as she gave a speech at the 2020 Olivier Awards—Britain's answer to the Tonys. She said:
"I believe in theatre. It's the cornerstone of a fertile cultural life, a forum for debate and a powerful means of building community...Perhaps more importantly, those of us who believe in the theatre also believe in its resilience. I should like to thank those of you whose profession is in the theatre for your determination and flexibility...Please remain resilient. We need you, and we've missed you."
It was announced by the National Theatre on Friday that Camilla has been passed the patronage by the Queen herself and that the organization is "delighted to have her."
Speaking in a press release, Norris, now Director and Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre, said: "It is a privilege to welcome The Duchess of Cornwall as the National Theatre's Royal Patron. The Duchess shares our belief that theatre enriches our lives in so many ways and that everyone should have access to the arts and creativity no matter where they are in the world. The Duchess has shown great support to our industry throughout the pandemic, and I look forward to working with Her Royal Highness for many years to come."
The Queen awarding Camilla the National Theatre patronage follows the announcement in February that she wishes the duchess to be known as "Queen Consort" when Charles accedes to the throne. It was also announced earlier this year that Kate Middleton would assume the royal patronages, formerly belonging to Prince Harry, of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more