The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s time as a royal was shorter than expected as she and Prince Harry stepped back from their duties just two years after their wedding in 2018.
Despite embracing engagements as a member of the Royal Family, it seems that Meghan, now 43, may have found life within ‘The Firm’ and the intense public attention that accompanies it quite different from her expectations. Less than two years into royal life, both she and Prince Harry, now 40, stepping back from royal duties – with it thought that they wanted to pursue financial independence and more privacy, ultimately relocating to the US in 2020.
Some royal commentators, however, suggest that there may have been more reasons behind Meghan’s decision to step back from life as a senior royal, as reported by the Express. Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, told OK! magazine earlier this year: “I have always held the view that Meghan failed to understand that she would never be the top dog in the Royal Family … or even the deputy top dog.”
She added: “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be in complete control and charge of your life. There’s nothing wrong with seeking the limelight. It’s just that the Royal Family was the wrong vehicle for her ambitions.”
Meghan Markle (right) married into the Royal Family back in 2018 when she tied the knot to Prince Harry (left) (Image: Getty Images)
Another commentator echoed this sentiment previously, hinting that Meghan perhaps never planned to stick around in the monarchy long-term. Royal commentator Phil Dampier has speculated that Meghan didn’t ever feel any “affection” towards her husband’s home country. Speaking to the Sun following Prince Harry’s solo trip back to the UK in September, Phil claimed: “To be honest, I don’t think she ever intended to stay in the Royal Family. 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, so the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that’s what we’re seeing now.”
Since stepping down as senior royals in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have set up home in Montecito with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Initially, the attracted attention with joint ventures like their Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, but lately, they’ve veered into solo projects, potentially to establish their individual brand images.
Speaking to the Express recently, Renae Smith, founder and director of PR firm Atticism, suggested: “I think their decision to pursue individual brands could indeed work in their favour over the long term, although it’s bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term. From a PR perspective, this shift might allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more coherently with their individual audiences.”
