Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Have Entered Their "Thrive Chapter"

dubbo, australia october 17 prince harry, duke of sussex and meghan, duchess of sussex visit a local farming family, the woodleys, on october 17, 2018 in dubbo, australia the duke and duchess of sussex are on their official 16 day autumn tour visiting cities in australia, fiji, tonga and new zealand photo by chris jackson poolgetty images

(Image credit: Chris Jackson)

published 19 August 2021

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry suffered from the excess visibility that serving as senior royals entailed, but that's not to say they don't intend to live as public figures from now on—they just want to do it on their own terms.

Omid Scobie, a royal expert who co-wrote Finding Freedom about the Sussexes' journey out of the constraints of the monarchy, spoke to People about what the future holds for the couple—dubbing this time "the era of visibility" for the Duke and Duchess.

"They're a couple who do very well in those moments of human interaction," Scobie told the outlet. "They need to be on the ground. They say that the proof is in the pudding, and what we are about to see is that pudding."

Scobie continued, "They seem to be existing in a different place, and that place is much healthier. Meghan famously spoke about that it was not enough to survive—we are now in the thrive chapter." The language here may be a little unclear, but "thrive chapter" certainly has a ring to it.

As for what exactly the couple plans to do with their newfound freedom, they've given us a few clues. They are focusing on charity endeavors, with Markle kicking off her 40x40 mentoring initiative on her 40th birthday and the couple supporting causes that matter to them. They have also signed a four-book deal with Penguin Random House—which includes plans for a memoir from Prince Harry—as well as working on high-profile projects like an animated series for Netflix. And of course, they will remain focused on nurturing their sweet family of four. Good for them.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.