It’s been two years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their royal departure in January 2020. In a statement on both their Instagram pages and website, Harry and Markle outlined their intention to step down as senior members of the British royal family and “work to become financially independent.” On March 31, 2020, their departure became official and they agreed to a 12-month review period that ended on March 31, 2021. However, as the couple neared the end, it became clear they would not be returning to Royal Life.
When speaking to entertainment tonight, royal expert Katie Nicholl said a return to the palace was highly unlikely because “the general consensus is that this ‘divorce’ worked”. She added: “Meghan and Harry left the royal family to become independent, to become financially independent. They absolutely achieved that this year. They can now look back a year and probably celebrate their decision.”
Markle and Prince Harry later revealed details of the challenges they faced as part of the royal family that led to their decision to sever ties as working royals in a March 2021 interview with Oprah. These included the Palace’s unwillingness to protect her, Prince Harry and their children from negative and often racist press coverage. “They were willing to lie to protect other family members,” she explained. “But they weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.”
The Sussexes have thrived as working royals since stepping down. They moved to Santa Barbara, California and established their Archewell Foundation. They also signed a huge multi-year deal with Netflix, where they will produce a variety of projects including their documentaries Harry & Meghan and an upcoming documentary about the Invictus games.
Additionally, they teamed up with Spotify for a multi-year partnership with Archewell Audio, which resulted in Markle’s hit podcast Archetypes. So, yes, Harry and Markle do more than just OK as individuals.