London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

The Firm: Britain's royal 'institution' explained

The Firm: Britain's royal 'institution' explained

Oprah Winfrey's bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex caused shockwaves, with the couple accusing the royal "institution" of failing to protect them when they needed it most.

But what is this institution, and how does it operate?

Sometimes referred to as "the Firm," the monarchy works like a public body or government department, albeit one that is completely independent.

At its head is the Queen, and below her comes a strict hierarchy based on the line of succession. At present that runs down from Prince Charles to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; his children George, Charlotte and Louis; and then Prince Harry.

There are also thousands of people working behind the scenes to keep the royal household running smoothly. These employees are spread over five main departments, including the Private Secretary's Office, which oversees constitutional matters, and the Privy Purse and Treasurer's Office, which looks after finance, human resources and IT.

During the interview, Meghan herself drew a line between the members of the royal family and the household staff.

"So, there's the family, and then there's the people that are running the institution," she told Oprah. "Those are two separate things. And it's important to be able to compartmentalize that, because the Queen, for example, has always been wonderful to me."

In one instance, Meghan said, she appealed to a senior staff member and the palace's human resource department for support with her mental health. She was told that as a member of the royal family, rather than a paid employee of the institution, she wasn't eligible for the department's help.

While the senior royals aren't on the household payroll, the Queen leans on them to represent her because she can't do everything herself. In return, they can access public funds known as the sovereign grant, which is paid to the monarch for his or her role as head of state and head of nation.

Prior to their decision to "step down" the Sussexes were part of this group, but due to the hierarchy their role was essentially to support the Cambridges.

The hierarchy also meant their household office was smaller than that of the Cambridges or Prince Charles, offering less support.

But receiving any money from the sovereign grant means the royals have to be publicly accountable for public funds and can't make money from their name.

They have to remain politically and commercially independent, avoiding any conflict of interest.

Taking a royal position means there are compromises on personal freedom, as members of the family represent the crown, not just themselves.

In a bid to enjoy greater freedom, Harry and Meghan wanted to become minor royals, who have no access to taxpayers' money -- but their plans raised serious issues.

The couple had a parallel, independent office in the US, where the palace had no oversight over the projects they were working on. This created tension with the "institution" referred to by the pair, who ultimately decided to end their royal duties entirely.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
×