A royal spinoff: Harry, Meghan to 'step back', but will it work better?

Allowing some royals to step away from "senior" status makes sense if you think of the British monarchy as a business

The announcement by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — aka the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — that they’re stepping back from being “senior” members of Britain’s Royal Family should have come as no great surprise to royal watchers who have watched the pair struggle in the glare of the spotlight over the past year.

Insiders sometimes call the royals “The Firm,” and perhaps that analogy is useful to understanding their desire to live, shall we say, a more entrepreneurial life. (Buckingham Palace seems to have been caught flat-footed by their pivot.)

The shift is consistent with a long-term strategic plan attributed