Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship came to light back in 2016 after they had done their best to hide it from the public for several months. But they knew they wanted to be together, and by 2017, Harry had proposed. The two planned a wedding in six months, which was watched by millions, and they were married in 2018.

The fairytale turned complicated after that, though, when Harry and Meghan left the royal family in 2020 in favor of a more private life. Now, one expert thinks Meghan was never planning a long-term life as a working royal.

Prince Harry and Meghan MarklePrince Harry and Meghan Markle | Vizzor Image/Getty Images

Royal expert claims Meghan Markle always planned to leave the royal family

Meghan and Harry met when Meghan was still an American actress with a lifestyle blog. She was as breath of fresh air for Harry, having grown up nothing like the way he did. But once the two were married, it did not take long for Meghan to recognize that she wanted a life of philanthropy without the confines of royal rules. It was such a quick realization, in fact, that some think it was always her intention.

“To be honest, I don’t think she ever intended to stay in the royal family,” royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun. “Unfortunately, I think she was prepared to have a wonderful wedding costing millions of pounds, but I don’t think her heart was ever really in it, and I think she always planned to leave.”

Harry, on the other hand, wanted a world where he could have both — the royal family and the ability to choose his own adventure. The downside, though, is that this wasn’t feasible, and when his hand was forced to choose one over the other, he chose the freedom.

Nobody blames Harry and Meghan for leaving the royal family

The problem with Harry and Meghan’s popularity isn’t that people hate them for leaving the royal family. It’s that people dislike the couple’s decision to bad-mouth the royal family after their exit.

Harry and Meghan spent a year flying under the radar before unleashing everything that they claim happened to them (all caused by the royals). Harry released a memoir, the couple produced a documentary, and they even sat down for a bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview. These days, the two have seemed to take a step back from the spotlight — perhaps because they realized it wasn’t doing their popularity any favors.