Prince Harry left the royal family due to a combination of factors, primarily the "toxic" British media's intense scrutiny and negative coverage, a desire to protect his family's mental health (especially Meghan's, who faced racist headlines), a feeling of being unsupported by the institution, and a wish to break cycles of "pain and suffering" from his own upbringing, aiming for more independence and control over their lives and careers outside the traditional royal role.
Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex made the decision to step away from royal duties in September 2020 as tensions mounted between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family over their independence and treatment of the duchess.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
Prince Harry's rift with the royal family—namely his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles—has raged on for years. At the core of it, a royal biographer said, is a lack of trust. Sally Bedell Smith told People for its cover story released on June 3 that “the underlying issue is trust.
In 2022, journalist Bryony Gordon told The Telegraph that Harry “wanted out from the crazy cult of royalty” since childhood, but only got the courage to leave after meeting Meghan.
Meghan Markle has jumped 11 points in new polling data partially recovering from a major slump in her U.S. popularity during the first half of 2025. The Duchess of Sussex's fan base crashed 13 points during two quarters, according to ratings data from YouGov, while those who disliked her also increased in number.
Yes, Prince Harry can technically be removed from the line of succession, but it's a complex process requiring an Act of Parliament and the consent of Commonwealth Realms, not something King Charles III can do unilaterally, though his decision to step back from royal duties has sparked debate about it. While he remains in line (currently behind his children), removing him would set a precedent and necessitate new legislation to alter the established legal order, potentially affecting his descendants' positions as well.
But as another of William's closest friends once told me, when it comes to relationships with the future king, “it is all about trust and loyalty”. William feels he has lost both with Harry and that may prove too difficult a roadblock to pass.
While "nicest" is subjective, polls consistently show Prince William and Princess Catherine (Kate) as the most popular and positively viewed royals, often praised for their warmth, dedication, and resilience, with Princess Anne frequently cited for her down-to-earth, no-nonsense, and hardworking nature, making her a strong contender for "nicest" in terms of perceived authenticity.
Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in separate beds primarily due to the constraints of the Royal Train (which has only single beds) and as part of a long-standing aristocratic tradition of separate sleeping arrangements for better rest or privacy, though they likely share a bed at home, with their dog sometimes joining them for extra comfort, aligning with modern trends for "sleep divorce".
Meghan Markle's name was removed from Archie Harrison's birth certificate in 2019, changing it from "Rachel Meghan The Duchess of Sussex" to just "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex," as a move to align with royal protocol, similar to Princess Diana's birth certificate, though it sparked rumors of a "snub" to Kate Middleton and was described by Meghan's spokesperson as a Palace directive, not her own choice, adding complexity to royal naming conventions.
Samantha Markle has multiple sclerosis.
"I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious," said Prince Harry, who said the dispute over his security had "always been the sticking point".
The duke and duchess are no longer covered by the standard security arrangements for senior royals. In May, Harry lost a legal case to have full police protection reinstated when visiting the UK. He told BBC News that it was not safe to bring his family back to the country because he could not guarantee their safety.
In a March 2021 television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan said Megxit was caused by them not getting the help they sought from the royal establishment on issues such as refuting false tabloid stories about Meghan and getting her mental health help.
Some say the dueling duchesses disliked one another from day one. Others say the war began when the combatants clashed over preparations for Meghan's wedding. Whatever the case, a new poll indicates that when it comes to popularity in the UK, Meghan is no contest for Kate.
It is Prince Andrew, however, who remains the least popular royal, with nine in ten Britons (89%) now seeing the Duke of York negatively.
A whole study crowned Meghan the Duchess of Sussex the most intelligent British royal and the timeline is still trying to catch up to the significance of that. Let's get into it. Oxford Royal pulled academic records. University rankings.
Prince Harry whispered to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, that he hoped she was happy and with his grandfather, Prince Philip, and expressed his admiration for her dedication to duty until the end, as revealed in his memoir Spare. He said he hoped she'd be happy and with Grandfather now, acknowledging her service through the Jubilee and her final duties.
According to several sources like the Examiner, Camilla “will never forgive” Harry. “She's still livid over what he wrote about her” in his memoir Spare, “and what he said in follow-up interviews.” In Spare, Harry recounted how he viewed Camilla as a “villain” and how he felt when his father remarried.
The "baby brain" comment refers to a widely reported incident from Prince Harry's memoir Spare, where Meghan Markle allegedly told Kate Middleton she must have "baby brain because of her hormones" following Kate's birth of Prince Louis in 2018, causing a significant rift because Kate found the comment offensive, leading to a dispute about appropriate ways to speak within the Royal Family, although Meghan viewed it as a lighthearted comment she'd use with friends.
However, no paternity test has been undertaken and there is no evidence that Harry is not a Windsor. Anderson's book however is still stoking the rumours ten years on, he names witnesses who in fact say Diana and Hewitt were lovers before, not after, Harry was born.
"Long ago Queen Elizabeth made it clear that Harry and Meghan would keep their titles but not be addressed using the HRH honorific - the same punishment that was meted out to Princess Diana after her divorce from Charles," Andersen explained.
When Prince William becomes King, if her husband King Charles has passed, Camilla will likely become the Queen Dowager, a title for the widow of a king, transitioning from her current Queen Consort role, and while still retaining high status and potentially patronages, her public duties and living arrangements (like residences) would be decided by William as the new monarch, paving the way for Catherine to become Queen Consort.