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28th Jan 2020

The Queen has appointed Prince William with a new role in the wake of Meghan and Harry’s departure

Cathy Donohue

Prince William has been appointed with a new role by The Queen.

Kensington Palace recently announced that the Duke of Cambridge, aka Prince William, is now Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The appointment is an annual one and although the Queen has previously appointed people living in Scotland, members of the royal family have also filled the position including the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal.

An extract from the official statement reads:

“The Sovereign is represented at the General Assembly by the Lord High Commissioner, who attends as an observer and is appointed by Her Majesty on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Lord High Commissioner’s role is to maintain the relationship between the State and the Church, and a long-standing tradition of appointing a Lord High Commissioner originated in the latter part of the 16th Century.

“The person appointed to the role is a Scottish figure, whose appointment is based on merit and their contribution to society.  Members of the Royal Family have also been appointed in the past and The Princess Royal, The Duke of Rothesay, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex have all been appointed to the role, The Princess Royal twice. The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury was the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2018”.

Prince William’s new appointment comes in the wake of his brother’s decision to step down from the royal family.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced their decision to resign as senior royals at the start of the month with Harry saying he had no other choice.

After talks, an agreement was reached with the Sussexes set to repay the funds used to refurbish Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home. They will no longer use their HRH titles or have access to public funds. In addition, they will “maintain their private patronages and associations” with the blessing from the Queen.

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