Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family last year, but the Duke remains in the line of succession to the Crown and is currently sixth in line to the throne. But as the pair are no longer working royals, and have signed lucrative commercial contracts with Spotify and Netflix, and plan to hold a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey next month, Express.co.uk asked its readers if they thought Harry should be cut from the list and barred from ever becoming King.
The poll, carried out from 11.30am-10pm on February 17, asked: “Should Duke be cut from the line-of-succession to the throne?”
The vast majority of the 7,998 respondents voted “yes”, with 95 percent (7,589 people).
Just five percent (346 people) voted “no”, with less than one percent (63 people) opting for “don’t know”.
Readers then took to the comments to explain why they thought Harry should be removed from the line of succession.
One reader fumed: “Harry wants to have his cake and eat it too. He won’t abdicate which he should as Prince.
“Now giving a full interview to Oprah which she is allowed to ask him anything.
“I have had enough of this couple’s soap opera.
“First they don’t want to be in the spotlight, then they do, then they don’t. Enough is enough.
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A second reader said: “Hell yes he is not worthy of any privileges his actions should have consequences.”
A third wrote: “There’s no other option but for him to lose all his titles and be removed from the line of accession.”
Another user said: “Harry should be removed from the line of succession–and ALL of his titles, patronages and privileges should be stripped too–and that of all of his offspring.
“Even if it requires an Act of Parliament, it is not acceptable that Harry and Meghan Markle retain any official association with the Monarchy, as they are both untrustworthy, dishonest and ungrateful.”
Another reader wrote: “Harry, who should hang his head in shame at treating the Queen and Country, which has provided to them–their lavish lifestyle–so abominably.”
Removing a member of the Royal Family from the line of succession isn’t a decision the Queen alone or the royals themselves can take but requires Parliament to step in.
Royal historian Marlene Koenig told Royal Central last year: “Succession to the throne is based on legislation including the Succession to the Crown Act, which includes the Act of Settlement.
“It would take an act of Parliament to remove a person from the line of succession.”
