Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Thought Leaving The Royal Family Would Make Them Reevaluate Their Position, Book Claims
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family in 2020, everyone was shocked, including the dad-of-two's brood.
In a new book by Tina Brown called The Palace Papers, the pair apparently thought things would have gone down differently. "They thought it would force the Royal Family to respond by saying… ‘OK, Harry and Meghan, what do you want? We’re going to give you what you want,'" the author stated.
The move also didn't sit well with Prince William, as royal author Robert Jobson said the dad-of-three felt "let down" and "wasn't sure if he could ever fully trust his brother again."
Despite Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, telling Queen Elizabeth they fully supported her, they were berated for their decision.
“The terms of the exit were harsh," Brown noted in an interview. “You know, they didn’t get anything they wanted actually. They didn’t even get to keep the word royal. Harry was no longer allowed to keep any of his military honors, I mean it was frankly lethal what happened”.
Since then, Harry has spoken highly of his grandmother, and he even got to visit her in the London before he went to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games this month. However, the meeting was apparently under wraps, Omid Scobie revealed.
"While the Sussexes and the Queen have been in regular contact over the phone or virtually, their recent in-person meeting — which was purposefully kept a secret from all palace aides — was Harry’s first chance in a year to truly speak privately with his grandmother without fear of anyone overhearing or wandering in the background of a video call," he said. "The reality is, since the passing of Prince Philip one year ago, the Queen is living by herself."
"While Prince Charles, the Cambridges and others stop by for visits, the people surrounding the monarch on a daily basis — aides, courtiers and household staff responsible for every aspect of her life — are all employees of the royal institution," he continued. "And it’s at the hands of some of these same people that Harry experienced some of his darkest and most distressing moments as a working member of the Firm."
