Here’s What Happened To Harry And Meghan When They Left The Royal Family
In early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the startling announcement that they would be stepping down from their roles as senior members of the British Royal family. Since then, the famous couple moved to California where they are raising their son and have a baby girl on the way. Here's the inside scoop on what Harry and Meghan's life looks like now and everything that was revealed in their highly-anticipated interview with Oprah.
Prince Harry Insists He Told The Queen Of Their Plans
Buckingham Palace sources told BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond that Prince Harry and Meghan did not consult the Royal family before making their decision and releasing their statement on January 8, 2020. The Queen and palace were said to be "blindsided" by the news, a reflection of the rift that's been made between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the Royal family.
However, in the interview with Oprah that aired in March 2021, Prince Harry insisted that he told his grandmother of their plans to leave. He said, "No, I never blindsided my grandmother. I have too much respect for her."
The Palace Admitted The Issues Are "Complicated"
Clearly, there were communication issues between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the Royal family. After news of Harry and Meghan's 2020 statement reached the palace, a spokesperson told BBC that there were "complicated issues" to work through before they were able to comment further.
The couple shared their statement on their Sussex Royal Instagram account, garnering 1.5 million likes within the first 24 hours. Then, the Queen canceled her plans for visiting with Harry and Meghan.
The Queen Was Advised To Cancel Their Visit
In an interview with Oprah, Prince Harry said, "I got a message from my private secretary cutting and pasting a message from the Queen's private secretary basically saying please pass onto the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that they cannot come to Norfolk, the Queen is busy all week."
However, Harry believes that it was the Queen's advisor who stepped in and made the decision to cancel their visit. When asked if the Queen could do whatever she wants, Harry replied, "No, when you're head of The Firm, there are people around you that give you advice. And what has also made me really sad is that some of that advice has been really bad."
The Queen Said She Supported The Move As Soon As The Announcement Was Made
On January 13, 2020, the Queen held a "royal summit" so the family could discuss Harry and Meghan's plans and decide how best to move forward. In attendance were the Queen, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles. After the meeting, Buckingham Palace released a statement declaring that the Queen supports the Sussexes in their decision.
"Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family," the official statement read. A "final decision" regarding the issue will be made in the coming days.
They Made The Decision For Their Son
News of the couple's departure from their senior roles followed their first child's birth. In an interview before the couple became pregnant, Harry said that he wishes for his children to have a normal life, not like the one that he experienced growing up.
Harry told ITV, "I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too. We don't want to be just a bunch of celebrities but instead use our role for good."
The British Media Felt That They Were Owed Access To Archie
Sources close to Meghan revealed that Meghan was fed up with the media wanting to know every detail about Archie's life and take as many photos of him as they want. She was heavily criticized for keeping her son's christening private as the British public seem to believe since they financially support the Sussex Royals, they should have access to Archie.
TMZ reported that the source said Meghan believed being financially independent would eliminate the obligation for her to share the details of Archie's life with the media. The couple already had lawyers draft a cease and desist letter to British media stating that they will take legal action if photos of Meghan, Harry, and Archie in Canada are published.
A Baby Girl On The Way
In February 2021, Meghan and Harry announced that they are pregnant with their second child, sending the internet into a frenzy. In an interview with Oprah, the couple revealed they were expecting a daughter. From the get-go, people began speculating what the next member of the Meghan and Harry's family will be named.
Many believe the baby will be Diana or Spencer in honor of Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whose maiden name is Spencer. Meghan and Harry also revealed that they would not be trying to have a third child, after their baby is born. They said, "Two is it."
A Deeply Personal Loss For The Couple
For the November 25, 2020 issue of The New York Times, Meghan Markle penned an opinion piece that revealed the deeply personal news that she and Prince Harry had suffered a miscarriage. In "The Losses We Share," she wrote about a morning that July when she "knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."
The Duchess also called for an end to the taboo surrounding talking about losing a child. "In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing," she said.
Meghan Couldn't Handle The Pressure And The Palace Didn't Offer Help
After marrying Prince Harry and being pushed into the scorching spotlight of the British media, it all became too much for Meghan. After more than a year of bullying and negative comments, the Duchess of Sussex admitted to having a terrible thought that "real and frightening and constant".
She reached out to the palace staff for help in protecting her from the media but they denied her request. In the interview with Oprah, Meghan explained that she was told, "My heart goes out to you, because I see how bad it is, but there's nothing we do to protect you, because you're not a paid employee of the institution."
Prince Harry Took A Job At A Tech Company
As if an interview with Oprah and announcing the beginning of a production company wasn't enough, Prince Harry also took a new job. No longer a working member of the British royal family, the Wall Street Journal was the first to announce in March 2021 that Harry took a job as Chief Impact Officer for a tech company in Silicon Valley.
Harry will begin working for BetterUp, a startup company that specializes in mental health services and coaching. The company listed Harry as an executive on their website, noting his experience as a "humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist."
The Palace Didn't Give Archie Security or a Royal Title
It had previously been reported that Meghan and Prince Harry chose not to have their son be given a royal title. However, Meghan clarified "It was not our decision to make." The couple admitted they didn't receive a valid answer from the palace as to why their son wouldn't be given a royal title, as his father is the grandson of the Queen.
They were more worried about the palace denying Archie security and protection, like other royals have in place.
What It Means To No Longer Be "Senior Members" Of The Family
In their statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn't say that they would leave their roles completely but instead step back as "senior members" of the Royal family. So what exactly will change?
As senior members of the family, they're prohibited from earning incoming in any form. So this allows the couple the freedom to make their own money. The couple will no longer live full-time in England and will scale back their event attendance, as Prince Philip did when he formally retired from his royal duties as the Queen's consort.
They Took Another Step Back From Their Royal Lives
Just days after Harry and Meghan announced that they were expecting their second child, Buckingham Palace released a statement revealing that the couple would not be returning as working members of the Royal family. "[I]n 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," the statement said. Harry and Meghan intend to continue supporting charitable causes "regardless of official role."
They will return their Royal patronages and honorary military appointments, which will be distributed among the rest of the working family. "While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family," read the official statement from the Palace.
Prince Harry Says He Left The Royal Family Because It Was "Destroying" Him Mentally
In the February 25, 2021 episode of The Late Late Show, Prince Harry gave his personal friend James Cordon an interview in which he revealed some surprising details about his split from the royal family. According to Harry, he opted to step away from his royal duties to avoid the British press, which he said was "toxic" and was "destroying” his mental health.
He added, “We never walked away, and as far as I'm concerned, what decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away.” The statement gave the impression that the royal family didn't accept Harry and Meghan’s proposal of keeping public-private roles and that the couple felt obligated to leave instead.
Prince Harry Will Still Keep His Spot To The Throne
As the saying goes, the Royal family should always have "a heir and a spare," one family member to inherit the throne, and another in case something happens to that person. The second-born to Prince Charles, Prince Harry is considered "the spare" with his older brother Prince William being "the heir".
However, after Prince William married and had three children, they now fall into the direct line of succession for the throne, meaning Prince George, Princess Charlotte, or Prince Louis will be next, after William. This pushes Prince Harry to the sixth spot in line for the throne, making it highly unlikely he would ever become king.
The 'Sussex Royal' Brand Caused Controversy
For weeks, the royal family discussed Harry and Meghan using the brand name "Sussex Royal" since they had stepped down as working members of the royal family. The Queen and other senior officials felt it was inappropriate for the Sussex family to use the word "royal" and to profit from the title in their future endeavors.
Yet, the couple has spent considerable time and money on trademarking the brand and creating a Sussex Royal website. The name also covers their newly-established charity, Sussex Royal, The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and other items such as their popular Instagram account.
Their Wax Statues Were Swifty Removed
Within a day of Harry and Meghan's announcement, the London Madame Tussauds museum quickly removed their wax statues from the Royal Family set. The General Manager of the museum commented, "Alongside the rest of the world we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior Royals."
Their statues will still be on display (each costing around $195,000 to make) but will not be featured alongside the rest of the Royal family, to reflect their "progressive new role within the Royal institution."
A Possible Reality Show
In September 2020 Glamour reported that Prince Harry and Meghan were being filmed for a reality show that would stream on Netflix. The program would be made as part of their overall deal with the streaming service if it was true.
Before you get too excited, shortly after the report came out, the Royal company denied it. A spokesman for them released this statement to People, ""The Duke and Duchess are not taking part in any reality shows.'
They'll Keep Their Cottage In Windsor
In their January 8, 2020 statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex explained that they plan to split their time "between the United Kingdom and North America." The couple recently renovated the 19th-century cottage to fit their needs, costing £2.4m in taxpayer money (roughly $3,134,736 USD).
Per the agreement reached between the Royal Family and the Sussexes, Harry and Meghan will repay the cost of renovations to the cottage. They'll also pay commercial rent and all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the home. Since moving to California, Harry let his cousin, Princess Eugenie, stay there after she gave birth to her first child on February 9, 2021. It's convenient for her and her husband Jack Brooksbank, as it's just down the road from Eugenie's parents for extra help.
Harry And Meghan Are Changing The Way They Communicate
Stepping back from their roles as senior members of the Royal family also allows more flexibility for Harry and Meghan on how they communicate to the public. The palace has strict rules banning senior Royal family members from using social media and taking on interviews whenever they choose.
Currently, journalists and media are given exclusive access to interviews with the royals. Moving forward, Harry and Meghan say they plan to take on a "revised media approach" that will allow them to "engage with grassroots media organizations and young, up-and-coming journalists." They explained that "the current system predates the dramatic transformation of news reporting in the digital age."
The Queen Responds To Bombshell Oprah Interview
During the interview with Oprah, Meghan claimed that the Royal Family was concerned about Archie's public profile as a bi-racial child. The allegation became one of the main focuses on social media after the program ended.
One day after the interview aired, Buckingham palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth that read, "The issue raised, particularly that of race, are conceding. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members"
Harry Gives An Emotional Address About Stepping Back
On January 19, 2020, Harry addressed the audience at a charity event in London. His emotional statement revealed that he had struggled with the choice to step back from his royal duties and that in order to protect Meghan and Archie from the strain of such a public life, he felt no other option.
"The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly," Harry said. "It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option." He continued, "Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible."
Harry And Meghan Will No Longer Be Addressed As HRH
As part of the official family agreement announced on January 18, Harry and Meghan are "no longer working members of the Royal Family," according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. As such, they will not be referred to as His or Her Royal Highness, and Harry will not be called "Prince" Harry any longer. Instead, the couple will only be referred to as Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Despite the change in title, Harry is still a prince and remains sixth in line to the throne.
The Couple Immediately Caught Flak For Their Decision
Not everyone is on board with Harry and Meghan's announcement to break tradition and step back from their roles as senior members of the British Royal family. Aside from the palace being "blindsided" by the news, royal experts are weighing in on the announcement, and it isn't pretty.
Historian and royal author Hugo Vickers told BBC, "They think they can do all sorts of things together but the fact is that they're very likely, if they're not careful, to end up as slightly tarnished celebrities, perhaps."
They Will Still Have Security Provided By The Palace
Although they will no longer be considered senior members of the Royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will still have armed security with them, provided by the Metropolitan police. Harry and Meghan (along with Archie) are considered "internationally protected people" and their security detail won't scale down even when they're traveling for personal reasons, rather than royal appearances.
Much like Princess Diana, Meghan has been followed and bashed by the media from the time she started dating Prince Harry, and will need protection in place. When asked about the media Meghan said, "It's hard. I never thought this would be easy but I thought it would be fair."
Harry Wants To Carry On His Mother's Legacy
Before she passed away at the age of 36, Princess Diana was known for her incredible humanitarian efforts. She made a point to leave the palace and go out and meet the people who needed help, firsthand.
Harry and Meghan plan to carry on Diana's legacy, including humanitarian efforts in Africa. It was often speculated by royal experts that if Harry were to leave England, he would most likely take up residence in Africa. He said an interview that Africa is "where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world."
They're Launching A New Charity
In December 2019 it was revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had applied to trademark their Sussex Royal brand as they make plans to launch a new charity entity. The trademark included the rights to charitable fundraising, books, calendars, education, and social care services, according to BBC.
The couple applied for the trademark on June 21, 2019, the same month that they split off from Prince William and Kate's foundation.
They Want Control Of Their Image
Harry and Meghan strongly believe in the freedom of the press, stating on their website that the couple supports "free, strong and open media." They also want to control their own communications without having to go through the palace for approval. (Their news-breaking Instagram post was a good start!)
Against the will of the palace, the couple stated that they will "personally share moments in their lives directly with members of the public" through their Sussex Royal Instagram account that has 10.3 million followers.
They Plan To "Carve Out A Progressive, New Role"
Prince Harry and Meghan included in their statement that they wanted to "carve out a progressive, new role" in their "new chapter" of life. For people closely following the Royal family, it doesn't come as a surprise to see Harry taking a new direction.
On the 20th anniversary of his mother's death, Harry said in an interview that he had long thought about leaving his royal duties behind. In a 2017 interview with Newsweek, Prince Harry said, "I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself."
Harry's Future Is Wide Open Compared To Prince William's
Sir David Manning, the former British Ambassador to the United States said, "Prince William's obviously got a very clear destiny." After Queen Elizabeth II resigns from the throne, Prince Charles is next in line. Following him is Prince William, making his role in the British Royal family extremely important.
He continued, "Prince Harry's destiny is much more open to discussion and much more open for him to decide. And so I think, although [they're] very close and in many ways passionate about the same things... Harry's got a field of maneuver that's much broader."
Prince Harry Struggles With Managing Paparazzi PTSD
Princess Diana was hounded by the British media both during and after her marriage to Prince Charles. The paparazzi would ultimately be the cause of her death, as the car she was traveling in crashed in a tunnel while being chased by the media. In an interview with ITV in October 2019, Prince Harry confessed that he has a hard time dealing with the media attention because of his mother's death.
"Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash-- it takes me back," he said. "It's the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best." Because of his experience, he's also extremely protective of Meghan and the way the media follow her. He said, "I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."
They Want To Be Financially Independent
In their statement, Harry and Meghan included that they wanted to break tradition and "work to become financially independent" from the palace, which Meghan is already used to doing. Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan had a lucrative acting career as part of the lead cast in the crime TV drama Suits. She also founded a lifestyle blog in 2014 called "The Tig".
Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan's estimated net worth was $4.8 million. She was reportedly making around $50,000 per episode of Suits which added up to $450,000 a year.
Harry Didn't Make As Much As Meghan, But Is Worth More
Meghan's salary before their marriage was more than what Prince Harry was making while he was serving in the military. He reportedly only earned $45,000 a year while serving in the British Army Air Corps. That means his yearly salary was less than Meghan's pay for filming just one episode of Suits.
But that doesn't mean that Meghan is worth more than her royal husband. Prince Harry's net worth is estimated at $40 million. When Harry turned 30 years old he also received a trust that his late mother, Princess Diana, had set up for him. On his birthday, $13.3 million was transferred into Harry's name.
