The Duchess of Cornwall will be taking over one of Meghan Markle ’s former patronages, according to The Sunday Times . Camilla, who is a great supporter of the arts, is reportedly set to become royal patron of the National Theatre.
After serving as patron for over 40 years, Queen Elizabeth passed on the royal patronage to her granddaughter-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, in 2019. However, the patronage was reverted back to the monarch last year after Meghan and Prince Harry confirmed to Her Majesty that they would not be returning as working members of the royal family.
“Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement in February 2021. “The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.”
The National Theatre tweeted at the time that they were “very grateful for the support offered by the Duchess of Sussex throughout the course of her patronage,” adding that Meghan “championed our work with communities and young people across the UK, and our mission to make theatre accessible to all.”
The Rugby Football Union, which Harry was patron of, was among the patronages that were returned to the Queen. Last week, sources told the Daily Mail that the Duke of Sussex’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, is due to be unveiled as patron of the Rugby Football Union “imminently.”