Meghan and Harry Reportedly Discussed Leaving the Royal Family Before They Married

Leaving the royal family wasn't Meghan Markle's idea. She and Prince Harry had reportedly discussed it before they even got married or had Archie.

  • As news about an upcoming royal biography continues to come out, there's a report that the book will cover Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal exit.
  • In particular, the book will talk about the long process to come to that decision—including an honest conversation before they got married.
  • Prince Harry had alluded to wanting to leave the Royal Family before he met Meghan, so this all makes sense.

If you're a royals superfan like myself, chances are you've already bookmarked the new biography Finding Freedom: Meghan and Harry and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. Coming out from the brilliant minds of royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the biography was reportedly made with the Sussexes' knowledge—and will offer some important insider details about their lives and decisions. And one of the big subjects? No surprise: It's their decision to exit the Royal Family as senior royals.

In a report in The Sun, a source says that the book will dispel the coverage of so-called "Megxit," which pinned all the decisions to leave the Royal Family on Meghan. It seems, instead, that this was in the works for a long, long time, according to the source. I quote:

"The book will explore the journey that Meghan and Harry went through in coming to the conclusion that they did. It will make clear that far from it being a snap decision that they took a long time to make it. The seeds of Megxit were sown before they even got married. The truth is that Harry had been deeply unhappy for a long time. And he and Meghan openly discussed going in a different direction well before they got married."

A publishing insider added, "That word 'Megxit' in particular has always angered Prince Harry. It gives the impression that the decision to walk away from the Royal Family was Meghan’s.

"The reality is Harry drove that decision. The book will make that clear and explain why it had to happen. The truth is Harry had been unhappy for a long, long time."

Harry even referenced Diana in his public remarks about the subject, which supports this narrative:

Also, this certainly isn't the first time this idea has been alluded to; royal reporter Rebecca English, who has known Harry for a long time, said he's made comments that he wished he could leave responsibilities behind. But this may lay things out in much starker, concrete terms. I'm excited to read it.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributor

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.