Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they were stepping back as senior royals in January 2020 – and there’s one photo from their final royal engagement that speaks volumes about how they were feeling.
Meghan Markle may have achieved her ultimate goal by marrying Prince Harry and then leaving the Royal family, according to an expert.
Initially, the former Suits star was warmly received by the Queen and other royals when she began dating Harry. However, less than two years after their 2018 wedding, the couple stunned fans by announcing their decision to quit Royal life. They relocated to Canada, returning for select engagements, including the Commonwealth Day service in March 2020.
A telling photo from that event, which shows Harry and Meghan walking behind the royals, reveals underlying tensions. Richard Eden pointed out on YouTube, “Look how angry, really, Harry looks here at the back,” noting the Duke’s stern expression as he exits Westminster Abbey behind his father and older brother. “The others are trying to put on very neutral expressions, but he looks angry and bitter.”
In contrast, Eden observed, “Everyone looks pretty unhappy essentially, apart from, I dare say, Meghan. Look at the expression on her face. She seems kind of pleased really, as if maybe she’s got what she wanted.”
Meghan seemed to be ‘pleased’ on Commonwealth Day in 2020
The Royal commentator continued, “You know there were people at the time who said, you know, perhaps that’s what Meghan wanted. She married into the Royal family, she’s got her prince, and now she’s taking him back to America. So maybe that accounts for her expression”. Meghan and Prince Harry made headlines when they declared their intention to “step back as senior members of the Royal Family” and divide their time between the U.K. and North America on January 8, 2020, reports the Mirror.
They expressed in a statement, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” adding, “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
Following their bombshell announcement, a Royal crisis meeting was convened at Sandringham with Harry, his father Charles, and brother William, which the media dubbed the ‘Sandringham Summit’. After their 90-minute talk, the Queen issued a heartfelt statement: “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she shared.
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
She also acknowledged, “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 Queen further noted there would be a “period of transition” for the Sussexes to establish their new roles, and it was later confirmed that this arrangement would be subject to a one-year review period.
In February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Meghan and Harry would not be resuming their Royal duties. The couple lost their patronages, and Harry was stripped of his honorary military appointments, which were then distributed “among working members of The Royal Family.”
They were also prohibited from using their His/Her Royal Highness titles, although they retained them, as well as their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
“While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family,” stated the announcement from Buckingham Palace.
