It was the seismic announcement that sent tremors through the Royal Family and reverberated across the globe. Six years ago, Prince Harry and Meghan dropped the bombshell that they were stepping back as working royals to “carve out a progressive new role” within the institution whilst pursuing financial independence.
The decision is said to have caught the royals, including the late Queen, completely off guard, prompting Her Majesty to release an extraordinary statement confirming the couple would cease official duties. Yet no one could have predicted the dramatic chain of events that followed, with the Sussexes relocating to California, delivering an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey in which they criticised the Royal Family, before launching further accusations in a divisive Netflix documentary.
Today, Harry remains largely alienated from both his father, King Charles, and brother Prince William, whilst continuing his charitable endeavours. Meanwhile, Meghan concentrates on her lifestyle venture, As Ever.
Given the unfortunate deterioration of his family relationships, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggests the Sussexes might harbour some regret over how their Royal departure unfolded.
Speaking to the Mirror, she reflected: “If you think back to when they left, it was all incredibly melodramatic. In a breathless video filmed on board the plane leaving the UK, Harry gave the impression they were almost fleeing for their lives.”
“There had clearly been many hot-headed moments and, with the benefit of hindsight, they may well feel they could have done things differently. I’m sure Harry would never have wanted to hurt his grandmother, but he put her in the most invidious position, and she took a firm stand.
“We now know that he feels that life is precious and short, and, in an ideal world, he would very much like a reconciliation with his father and his brother.
“He says he doesn’t want to fight any longer. But, when there has been so much anger and hurt, the path to a reunion was never going to be easy.”
The anniversary of ‘Megxit’ also arrives alongside another significant date for the Duke of Sussex. Saturday will mark three years since his controversial autobiography, Spare, hit the shelves.
The tell-all book laid bare shocking incidents, including an alleged physical confrontation between Harry and Prince William at Kensington Palace, a fraught encounter at Prince Philip’s funeral, and friction between the two couples – Kate and Meghan. The Duke appeared to spare no one in his unflinching account of Royal family life.
It’s understood that communication between Harry and William has been non-existent since before Spare’s release, with little indication of any thaw in their relationship.
Recently, however, Harry has suggested he’s open to mending bridges with his family. Last year saw a brief face-to-face encounter with King Charles during a UK visit – their first meeting in 19 months.
However, with Harry expected to return to the UK within weeks, reports suggest a reunion with his father remains improbable. Jennie continued: “Everything was obviously made so much worse by all the revelations, accusations and betrayals of confidence in Harry’s book. He has squandered his family’s trust in him, and that is a notoriously hard thing to regain.
“He seems ready now to forgive and forget, but life just isn’t that easy. It’s all very well for him to feel he has aired all his grievances, so now he feels better and it’s time to move on. That’s not how it always works.
“He and Meghan are, however, pretty settled in California it would seem. They wanted freedom, independence and the ability to earn their living. They got all of that plus two lovely kids, a huge house, a celebrity lifestyle and a warm climate. What’s not to like?”.
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