Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially stepped down as senior royals on March 31 after completing their final engagements. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since relocated to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles, US, with their one-year-old son Archie Harrison. Their last official appearance as working members of the monarchy was at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, alongside the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other senior royals.
What has been dubbed “Megxit“ will see the couple gain financial independence, although there will be a review of arrangements after 12 months. Their usage of the word “royal” in their Sussex Royal brand was turned down by the Queen, and the couple is expected to launch their new independent charity Archewell – named after their son Archie – at some point later this year.
The Queen has said herself and the Royal Family are “entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family”. In a statement, Harry’s grandmother added: “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 Duke and Duchess have now lived in the US for a couple of months, but an expert has revealed Harry will struggle more settling down than Meghan. Royal author Tom Quinn has said he believes Harry will “be like a lost soul” in the US. Mr Quinn spoke on Channel 5’s new documentary Harry & Meghan: Two Troubled Years.
He said: “It will be far worse for Harry in America than Meghan in England. Because he’s not as tough as she is.” Journalist and broadcaster Daisy McAndrew also told the programme Harry will miss his military work the most in the future. She said: “When he did leave, he clearly wasn’t ready or willing or able to completely sever those ties.
“Which is why he’s continued, not just with honorary titles but he wanted to really continue to support injured serviceman both with the walking charity and the Invictus Games. “That has really brought him a lot of happiness. I think that’s what he’s going to miss the most now that he’s not in the UK.” Prince Harry and Meghan recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
The couple tied the know on May 19, 2018 in a lavish ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. To celebrate, they reportedly enjoyed a quiet day together, joining family and friends on Zoom. Writing in Harper’s Bazaar, journalist Omid Schobe said the couple chatted with a number of people – including some of the vendors who “helped bring the ceremony and reception to life”.
He added: “And with the Sussexes now based in Los Angeles, it only seemed right to celebrate with a Southern Californian favourite: Mexican food. “The couple, who also exchanged cotton-based gifts per tradition, enjoyed a number of favourite dishes together, washed down with margaritas.”
Before stepping down as senior royals, Meghan opened up about her struggles of settling down in the UK. In an ITV documentary following their tour of Southern Africa last autumn, the Duchess of Sussex said she was warned by her friends about coming to the UK. She told reporter Tom Bradby: “It’s not enough to just survive something, that’s not the point of life. You’ve got to thrive, you’ve got to be happy.
“I really tried to adopt the British sensibility of a stiff upper lip but what that does internally is really damaging.”