Princess Anne Says She Thinks Harry and Meghan's Royal Exit Was "The Right Thing to Do"

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Princess Anne showed support for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit, saying it was the "right thing to do."

  • It seems like everyone has an opinion about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step back a senior, working members of the royal family.
  • Although there have been rumors of less-than-pleased responses from some royals, Harry's aunt, Princess Anne, recently went on the record in an interview with royal correspondent Katie Nicholl about the royal exit.
  • Anne said that she believes "most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles" and that she thinks the decision was the "right thing to do."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit has been controversial among some royal fans and, according to anonymous royal "sources," even among some members of the royal family. One royal has gone very much on the record supporting the move though: Harry's aunt, Princess Anne.

Princess Anne (a.k.a. Anne, Princess Royal) is Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's second child and only daughter and she's definitely Team Sussex. In a new interview with Vanity Fair (which happened to take place just a month after Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from royal duties), the royal made a firm statement about her nephew's big move. 

"I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," she explained to royal expert Katie Nicholl. "So I think that was probably the right thing to do."

Anyone who knows much about the royal family won't be surprised by Anne's stance, of course. Even though she's still a working royal herself, she and her first husband, Mark Phillips, opted to break royal tradition and decline HRH titles for their children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall. Harry and Meghan, of course, made the same call when their son, Archie Harrison, was born in 2019, deciding against having the Queen give him a royal title.

It's good to know that, no matter how many rumors there are of royal feuds related to Harry and Meghan's exit, they have at least one relative who is firmly on their side.

Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.