LONDON-(MaraviPost)-A PETITION to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal title has been signed more than 3,500 times in Brighton and Hove. So could they be stripped of their titles?
Brighton and Hove councillors will debate a petition on whether to stop using Meghan Markleand Prince Harry’s royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The petition accumulated 3,881 signatures before it closed, as calls the titled “disrespectful to the county”.
The petition was called by campaigner Charles Ross.
The council does not have the authority to remove titles given by the Queen, but the petition calls for the title to be discontinued in council documents.
Mr Ross wrote: “We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to reject the usage of the titles ‘Duke of Sussex’ and ‘Duchess of Sussex’ by the individuals Henry (‘Harry’) Windsor and Rachel Meghan Markle as morally wrong and disrespectful to the county of East Sussex.
“As residents of Brighton and Hove we call on Brighton and Hove Council to not refer to these individuals by such titles which we believe to be entirely non-democratic and symbolic of the oppression of the general public by the wealthy elite.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry titles: The couple on their visit to Sussex last year (Image: Getty)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry titles: The petition was called by campaigner Charles Ross (Image: NC)
“Neither will Brighton Council invite or entertain these individuals nor afford them any hospitality or courtesies above and beyond that of an ordinary member of the public.”
Mr Ross, 54, also said the council needs to take a stand and added: “The petition aims to establish a precedent that Brighton and Hove Council will no longer afford official hospitality to those with Royal or aristocratic titles nor make usage of those titles in official documents as these titles are arbitrarily and unfairly acquired.”
After a quick rise, the petition has become the third most-supported online in the council’s history.
However, Mr Ross himself is admitted it might have taken on a life of its own.
Mr Ross said he set it up when he was “bored” and expressed surprise it was now the focus of a political debate.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “I have been a long-standing republican, but I didn’t particularly take up the cause – I think I was bored one evening, if you want me to be honest.
“I started a petition and I didn’t realise what a ball I would start rolling.”
Any petition with more than 1,250 signatures must be debated by the full council under internal rules – a figure that Mr Ross’ petition has more than tripled.
The motion is to be the fifth item on the agenda when Brighton and Hove City Council meet at 4.30pm on Thursday and will include a three-minute speech automatically granted to the principal petitioner.
Outlining what his address to the council chamber might contain, Mr Ross said: “Basically I will be espousing the fact that if politicians believe in a free society then they should not be according special privileges to people that have inherited titles.
“My point is that I’ve got nothing against Harry and Meghan personally.”
Other less impressed residents of Sussex have called into question the wisdom of the council in choosing to stage such a debate.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry titles: The council will make a formal comment after the debate on Thursday night (Image: Getty)
The petition was condemned online as an “embarrassment”, a “waste of time”, with one Twitter user suggesting “the guy starting the petition needs to grow up”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were well received on a trip to the county last October.
Hove MP Peter Kyle praised them at the time and said the couple reflected the diversity of Brighton.
The council will make a formal comment after the debate on Thursday night.
Latest on Meghan Markle
After a few days out of the spotlight, Meghan Markle has stepped out for the first time since the historic “Megxit” announcement.
The Duchess of Sussex visited the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver.
According to the center’s Facebook page, Markle, 38, had tea and discusses issues women in the community are facing.
MEGHAN MARKLE DIDN’T CALL INTO ROYAL FAMILY SUMMIT WITH THE QUEEN BECAUSE IT WASN’T ‘NECESSARY’
Source: https://www.express.co.uk
Maybe the Queen should give Mr. Ross a karmic response and strip him of his British citizenship and exile him.
As this petition was formulated out of boredom, it should be treated as such. What the bored individual forgets is that the royals bring in millions of £ for UK charities, not to mention the billion plus in tourism. Without the British monarchy, the UK would not draw in a fraction of that money. You would just be a small island with pretty damp and chilly weather.