The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have made the decision to step back as senior members of the royal family. Their decision comes with the desire to be financially independent and live between both England and North America.
Last May, the couple had their first child, and the decision has come as much of a surprise, although the family moved out of their office in Kensington Palace and were reported to have spent Christmas separate from the rest of the royal family.
There have been reports of isolation amongst Prince Harry and Markle’s family and the other royals since their wedding in 2018. That being said, the queen has been reported to be supportive of their choice to create a new life with their family.
In her statement, Queen Elizabeth II mentioned that she would prefer they remain members of the royal family, but she respects their choice to pursue an independent life.
This is not the first time Prince Harry has gone awry of the conventions of royal life, being that he fell in love and married an American actress rather than a British citizen. The decision was spurred after the couple’s tour of South Africa, where Prince Harry made statements regarding the propaganda and harassment inflicted on his wife by the media.
Said treatment recalls similar behavior from the press on the topic of Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. After the royal wedding, the media began to treat Markle unfairly. The situation escalated when their son was born. Markle has been berated for holding her baby and taking maternity leave, and even had private letters published that she’d sent to her family members.
Prince Harry sued Daily Mail in 2019 for the carelessness of the media and released statements mentioning concern that his wife could fall victim to the same forces as his mother. Their statement to resign from the royal family was announced by way of Instagram and mentioned a firm commitment to the wellbeing of their family.
There are many rumors regarding their decision, including them having been bullied out of the royal family by Prince William, which has since been debunked by Prince William after a UK newspaper published the rumor. That being said, in Oct. 2019 Prince Harry did confirm there was a slight rift between himself and his brother.
Despite the indication that the media’s influence on their lives may be a central reason for the split, the media, namely social media, has been relentless since the announcement of the Duke and Duchess’ decision. Many fans of the royal family have taken to Instagram, actively harassing Markle for being the central reason for the choice.
Though many have made the assumption that the decision is sudden, others have analyzed it and have deduced that the choice has been a long time coming. Between the number of lawsuits filed by the couple against media companies and the public statements on the impact of said coverage on their mental health, it seems to be the best option for them at this point in their lives.
Though the split is history-making, the couple did reference their continued commitment to the queen, even during this challenging time.
Last May, the couple had their first child, and the decision has come as much of a surprise, although the family moved out of their office in Kensington Palace and were reported to have spent Christmas separate from the rest of the royal family.
Featured Image by Tone’o on Flickr
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
