One year ago this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walked away from the UK's royal family.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, their absence has not yet been fully felt.
But as lockdown rules are eased, the "royal visits" in support of charities and institutions will resume.
Without Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the remaining royals will now feel the full impact of Megxit.
"The problem the royal family has is that without Meghan and Harry and without Prince Andrew, there's a lot of charity patronage that has gone and there are not a lot of royals left who can fill the roles," a former member of the royal household told The National.
“Until the next generation comes along when William’s children, George, Louis and Charlotte, come of age and the Earl of Wessex's [Prince Edward's] children as well, there will be a lot of vacancies to fill and they will be quite overstretched.”
With the withdrawal of the couple from royal duties on March 31, 2020 came the loss of their high profiles as patrons of charities and institutions, which had enjoyed a significant boost.
Prince Harry and his brother brought an open and intelligent approach to mental health with their Heads Together, as did Harry for many military charities and conservation projects.
But his withdrawal to America means these groups have to find new figureheads within the short-staffed royal ranks.
This will become ever more noticeable after the pandemic, royal insiders say, with Prince Philip retired, Prince Andrew hidden from public life and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed, perhaps permanently after their bridge-burning Oprah Winfrey interview.
It will now be down to Buckingham Palace staff to divide the Sussexes' top patronages between the remaining royals with Princess Anne, who is now 70, likely to take up Harry’s post of Capt Gen of the Royal Marines and Meghan’s role as patron of the National Theatre.
“There is certainly going to be a cog missing because the Sussexes are no longer there,” a royal observer said.
“As things open up post-pandemic, the big events are not going to have the allure of Prince Harry and Meghan walking down the red carpet at a charity gala or theatrical opening.
"That’s when people will really notice their absence and the pulling power that they had for charities and British institutions.”
The charities left behind
Prince William, in a speech to the Charity Commission in 2018, summed up the fact that charity work is the daily business for royals.
“We believe that, above anything else, charities nurture, repair, build and sustain our society, because without the work that charities do, society would be an empty shell,” he said.
On Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, a team of professional accountants tried to gauge her contribution in financial terms and decided it was immeasurable.
It is also difficult to account for how much their profile brings to the charity or issue it promotes, but it is undoubtedly considerable.
There are still some charities lucky enough to retain the couple as patrons, albeit from across the Atlantic.
Last year, Meghan allowed photographs of herself visiting the Mayhew Animal Home to be published and has retained her loyalty to the charity, which looks after the welfare of cats and dogs in London.
There is certainly going to be a cog missing because the Sussexes are no longer there
“We are, of course, thrilled that Meghan Markle is remaining a patron of Mayhew,” said Sarah Hastelow, its spokeswoman.
“We're incredibly grateful to Meghan for her time and generosity over the past few years.
"Her visits to our home have been fantastic opportunities for her to meet our staff and service users, and find out exactly how we make a difference.
"We cannot thank her enough for the raised awareness and support that Mayhew has seen since she joined us in 2019.”
But their absence could prove difficult for some of the smaller charities.
“Just having the royal name on the letterhead brings enormous value,” the former Buckingham Palace employee said.
“It’s in effect a kitemark, helping the organisation in terms of who they can ask, how they write to people and how they fund-raise.”
Charity is the royals' bread and butter
The charity work, some of it mundane to royals, is of such importance that it has become the raison d'etre of the British monarchy, allowing its members to carry out serious work that gives it meaning and purpose.
The pulling power of royalty, particular senior members such as Prince Charles, can have a significant and lasting effect.
His contribution to youth development through the Prince’s Trust is considered to be immeasurable, as is his unwavering commitment to the environment and conservation.
Royal observers believe senior family members have an ability to “convene”, bringing together important and influential people to discuss and resolve issues.
“That is one of the great powers that royalty has, putting influential people together, saying, ‘Here’s an issue, let’s work together on it',” one said.
While Prince William and his wife Kate will shoulder more of the charity burden with Harry and Meghan gone, those charities left behind by the Sussexes remain dignified at the loss of patronage.
"The Duke of Sussex has been a wonderful patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust and we are immensely grateful for his unstinting support and interest in our work over the past nine years," Sir Rodney Walker, the charity's chairman, told The National.
“Everyone at the trust and the wider London Marathon family sends our best wishes and thanks to the duke for all that he has done.”
MapAction, a charity that specialises in providing maps for humanitarian emergencies, said it had an amicable parting with the prince and there was “no urgency on either side to review the relationship”.
“MapAction is extremely grateful to have had him as our royal patron for what were our vital formative years as an organisation,” it said.
“Harry and his team have always been extremely helpful and accommodating, and we remain on excellent terms.”
As their marriage matured, it was hoped that Prince Harry and Meghan would provide a powerful force for whatever cause they considered worth championing.
That was cut off a year ago when their swift exit from royal life became a formality as they ceased undertaking royal duties on behalf of the queen.
Some in royal circles underplay the loss of Meghan as insignificant as she had “only been a working royal for 18 months”.
Others regard the Sussexes' departure as a lost opportunity.
“Just think of the great potential they had to do some good things if they’d stayed,” one observer said.
That potential looks to be irrevocably revoked after the Winfrey interview.
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
The%20specs
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Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
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