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Removed from royal display : Meghan and Harry waxworks join Madame Tussauds party zone
Date Added: May 14, 2021 08:34:21 AM
Author: Sutra Web Directory
Category: News & References

Madame Tussauds in London has revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's waxworks are -- like their real-life counterparts -- beginning a new chapter among the Hollywood elite.

In 2020, the pair's statues were moved away from Queen Elizabeth and the rest of Britain's royal family following their decision to step down from official duties. Now, more than a year later, the museum has announced that they have a glitzier permanent home: the "Awards Party" zone.

When the museum reopens Monday, following a long closure due to Covid-19, visitors will find the Duke and Duchess of Sussex rubbing elbows with real-life celebrity friends Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Victoria and David Beckham and George Clooney, as well as A-listers like Brad Pitt, Dwayne Johnson and Nicole Kidman.

The museum also revealed that it has given the statues a "refreshed look." A photo of the waxwork figures in their new home shows them in updated outfits -- a blue form-fitting dress and a navy suit -- which appear to be based on a viral photo captured shortly before they announced their decision to step down as senior royals last March.

In a press release, Madame Tussauds said the move reflected the couple's "decision to swap Frogmore for Hollywood," a reference to Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan's home in Windsor.

Prior to their removal from the royal set, the two waxwork figures had stood alongside Queen Elizabeth II, the late Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The museum said the decision to move the pair reflected their "progressive new role within the Royal institution."

"As two of our most popular and well-loved figures they will of course remain an important feature at Madame Tussauds London as we watch to see what the next chapter holds for the them," the attraction's then-general manager, Steve Davies, said in a statement at the time.

Two Meghan waxworks -- at Madame Tussauds locations in both London and New York -- were first revealed in 2019 to coincide with the royal wedding. Each statue cost roughly £150,000 ($210,000) to make.

Having moved to Meghan's home state of California at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pair later purchased a mansion in the Montecito neighborhood where they count celebrities like Oprah Winfrey among their neighbors.

Madame Tussauds London's general manager, Tim Waters, said in a statement, "Ever watchful of the celebrity landscape we've also moved Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's figures to join their Hollywood friends, reflecting their new status on the world stage as A-list favorites."
 
~ Via CNN