Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2020 Calendar: What happens now they're stepping down?

Between charity patronages and royal weddings, the pair will still have a lot to do once they step down
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Megan C. Hills6 March 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a packed schedule this month, at the end of which they'll formally step down as senior royals.

Yesterday, they made a dazzling first public appearance together since the announcement, particularly for a viral umbrella photograph taken as they arrived at the Endeavour Fund Awards.

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Today, Prince Harry joined F1 star Lewis Hamilton (who drove him to the event) to open a new museum, the Silverstone Experience, in Northamptonshire.

From there, the Sussexes have a number of official senior royal engagements before they begin their new life as 'just' Harry and Meghan.

Lewis Hamilton and Prince Harry
AFP via Getty Images

Although they will still serve the Queen in a limited capacity, the number of royal appearances the pair will make is expected to be dialled down after March 31.

However, the couple still has a number of charity patronages and will undoubtedly continue to be busy as an independent team - with expectations that they will still attend a few key Royal Family events.

Here’s all the confirmed (and expected) things Prince Harry and Meghan will get up to this year.

March 7 - Mountbatten Festival of Music

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Prince Harry and Meghan are set to attend the Mountbatten Music Festival, which will be held at the Royal Albert Hall.

It will be Prince Harry’s final scheduled appearance in his capacity as Captain General of the Royal Marines, before he loses the title on March 31 alongside his role as a senior royal.

He took over the position from his grandfather, Prince Phillip, in 2017 and royal commentator Dickie Arbiter said it “might be the last time we see the Prince in the uniform of Captain-General of the Royal Marines.”

The event will see the Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines perform for the public and proceeds raised by ticket sales will go towards the Royal Marines Charity and CLIC Sargent.

March 8 - Meghan to mark International Women’s Day

Meghan on International Women's Day last year
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It is not known what Meghan will be doing on International Women’s Day, but it is expected that the Duchess - whose activism has a strong focus on female empowerment - will undertake an engagement to celebrate the day.

Last year, she spoke on a panel alongside Annie Lennox, Adwoa Aboah and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Last year, she said, “You can be feminine and a feminist. You can be masculine and understand that your strength includes knowing your vulnerabilities.”

March 9 - Commonwealth Day service

The Cambridges and Sussexes at last year's Commonwealth Day Service
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March 9th will be a bittersweet day for the Royal Family, as it will be a reunion for many of the senior royals as well as Prince Harry and Meghan’s final appearance in the role.

It will be held on Monday at 3pm in Westminster Abbey, where they will be joined by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince Andrew will not be attending.

The event will also see Craig David and Alexandra Burke perform, as boxer Anthony Joshua will also give a ‘reflection’ according to Westminster Abbey’s official site.

Numerous heads of government across the Commonwealth are also expected to attend and the event will be aired live between 2:15 and 4pm on BBC One.

March 31 - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step down as senior royals

AFP via Getty Images

There is no plan for an official event to take place, however this is the scheduled day that Prince Harry and Meghan will step down as senior royals.

Prince Harry is also set to give up some of his military titles, however the pair will still serve the Queen and Commonwealth in a limited capacity as well as retain some of their royal patronages.

Late March - Invictus Games to release a charity single

Prince Harry’s Invictus Foundation is set to release a charity single by Bon Jovi, which already saw the Duke appear at Abbey Road with the singer.

It was hinted that Prince Harry could sing in the single alongside Bon Jovi and the Invictus Games choir, as Bon Jovi was seen coaching him in a recording booth in a video released to the Sussexes’ Instagram.

April 21 - Queen Elizabeth’s birthday

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Queen Elizabeth will turn 94 years old this year.

April 26 - London Marathon

Prince Harry with London Marathon winners in 2019
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As patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust, Prince Harry has regularly attended the charity’s biggest event of the year to hand out awards and cheer on runners from the sidelines.

However, the future of the marathon could be threatened by anxieties regarding coronavirus - especially after the Paris Marathon was postponed today.

May 6 - Archie Harrison’s birthday

The family have started a new life in Canada
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A year has certainly flown by and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will celebrate his first birthday in May. It is not known what the family will do to celebrate.

May 9-16 - Invictus Games

Meghan and Harry at the Invictus Games in 2018
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The Invictus Games Foundation, one of Prince Harry’s biggest initiatives to support military veterans, will hold its fifth annual tournament in the Netherlands this year.

Harry and Meghan both attended last year’s event in Australia together, however this year they will be taken to Zuiderpark in The Hague - where the venue will be renamed Invictus Games Park for the occasion.

Prince Harry always speaks at the Invictus Games’ opening and closing ceremonies, however Meghan also spoke last year at the event and it’s possible she will again this year.

This year’s events will see 500 competitors (comprised of wounded, sick and injured servicemen and women) from 19 nations face off in events including wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball, swimming and more.

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Buckingham Palace confirmed Princess Beatrice and real estate developer Mozzi would be tying the knot on May 29, in a ceremony set to be held in The Chapel Royal and a reception in the palace.

While it has not been confirmed if Meghan and Harry will be going, it is likely they will attend - especially as they attended Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s wedding previously together.

Summer - Sentebale Polo Cup

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Another Sentebale event on the roster. Prince Harry usually attends and competes in the charity’s annual polo cup alongside his close friend Nacho Figueras.

He competed last year and the year prior, he and Meghan shared a kiss onstage as his team was awarded with a trophy.

June 10 - Duke of Edinburgh birthday

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Prince Phillip will inch one year closer to a century, as Prince Harry’s grandfather will turn 99 years old. Will he get a letter from his wife?

June - The Sentebale Concert

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Sentebale is Prince Harry’s charity to support children affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, which he set up with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.

Held in Hampton Court Palace, Prince Harry has attended the Sentebale Concert over the years where he’s greeted Sentebale performers Rita Ora, Joss Stone and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

Dates for the concert have not been released for 2020.

June 13 - Trooping the Colour

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Although Queen Elizabeth’s birthday is technically in April, her birthday is officially celebrated in June with ceremonial event Trooping the Colour.

It is not known if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will join the Royal Family on the balcony in their diminished role, however other minor royals including Princess Beatrice and Eugenie typically attend - standing further behind those higher in the line of succession.

June 16-20 - Royal Ascot

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Royal Ascot is a time of the year when the entire Royal Family gets together, all piling into an exclusive VIP box where they rub shoulders and cheer on the horses. It is expected that they will attend.

August 4 - Meghan Markle’s birthday

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Meghan will turn 39 years old.

September 15 - Prince Harry’s birthday

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Prince Harry will turn 36 years old. Although the Union Jack flag is typically flown on UK government buildings on the birthday of royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex is not listed on the mandatory list for 2020.

November - Royal Variety Performance

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The Royal Variety performance is generally held in November and Prince Harry and Meghan have both attended the event in the past.

However, the attendance of various royals differs from year to year so it remains to be seen if they will go.

November 11 - 100th Anniversary of the Burial of the Unknown Warrior

Although Prince Harry will at this point have given up a number of honorary military titles, the veteran could make an appearance at this historic event.

A commemoration will be hosted in Westminster Abbey to celebrate a century since the body of the Unknown Warrior - who passed away during World War 1 - was brought from France to be buried in Westminster Abbey.

November 14 - Prince Charles’ birthday

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Prince Harry’s father Prince Charles will turn 72 years old.

December - Henry Van Straubenzee Christmas carol concert

Prince Harry is patron of the Henry Van Straubenzee Memorial Fund; a charity set up in memory of his childhood friend after he passed away in a car accident aged 18.

While the Sussexes were unable to attend the annual concert last year, Prince Harry has regularly gone in the past and Meghan went for the first time in 2018. It is expected they will attend this year.

Christmas - Unknown

Many members of the Royal Family typically spend Christmas at Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth, where they all attend a special holiday mass together.

While Prince Harry and Meghan have spent it up there a couple of times, last year they spent it in Canada. It is not known where they will spend it this year.

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