How Meghan & Harry's Exit May Not Have Been A Mutual Decision

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family back in January 2020 (in a move that has since been dubbed "Megxit"), it stirred up a firestorm of reactions from the public as well as from others in the family like Prince William and Kate Middleton. While it initially looked like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be punished for their decision, things seemed to have calmed down a bit by the time the pair showed up in the U.K. for their farewell tour.

However, it turns out that the situation might not be as pleasant as the royals are attempting to portray. Not only are cracks continuing to show in the family's demeanor — just take a look at the awkward meeting between Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate that went down in early March 2020 — but Harry may be having a tough time dealing with the situation. Not only is he surely under a lot of pressure — especially since he was forced to rush the announcement – but he may have gone along with a plan that wasn't a mutual decision between him and his wife in the first place.

Prince Harry obviously faced some difficult decisions in the months leading up to (and following) the choice to leave behind the role he had filled for the royal family, and it's apparently a situation that has left him suffering. In fact, he's "heartbroken," according to sources who spoke to The Times of London in January 2020 (via Page Six).

"He loves the Queen," one insider explained. "He loves this country. He loves all his military stuff. I think it will genuinely break his heart to leave. The source continued by claiming that they don't think completely leaving the royal family is "what [Harry] really wants," adding that the prince "is under intense pressure to choose." 

Noting that it seemed as if Harry, who has always known life as a royal, is "tormented at the idea of a permanent break," according to Page Six, he may have been aiming for a midway point that allowed him to step back somewhat while still having "some involvement" with his former duties. On the other hand, it appears as if Meghan Markle simply wanted (or needed) to get out.

Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced as a couple that they were making the life-changing, headline-sparking decision together, some believe that it was the Duchess of Sussex who was the motivating force behind the move. "She wants to leave," a source told The Times of London in January 2020 (via Page Six). "She thinks, 'It's not working for me.'"

There may have been plenty of reasons why life as a royal wasn't what Markle expected or was able to deal with. Not only were there claims that the British press treated her unfairly, especially compared to how they write about her sister-in-law and peer, Kate Middleton, but she may have missed the sense of freedom that her former life afforded her or even yearned for a simpler existence far away from life in a palace. 

Whatever her reason (or, more likely, multiple reasons) were for making the choice, some people apparently feel like Markle's "determination to leave" was evident in the fact that she only returned to England for a short time after the 2019 holidays before heading right back to Canada where she and Harry have settled down with their son, Archie, and are now building a new life together.

Even if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to leave their royal duties behind wasn't mutual, the pair are still sticking together in the aftermath. Following the farewell tour, which saw the Duchess looking as elegant as always (and the pair looking like they stepped right out of a romance-filled movie), the two are embarking on "an uncertain new life as semi-royals," according to The New York Times. That includes "head[ing] to Canada to patch together a new life and build their brand."

That new life will include a massive $14 million mansion, a possible return to Markle's showbusiness roots thanks to Disney, and a potential gig for Harry doing lucrative speaking engagements. Of course, they'll likely also be spending plenty of time with little Archie, who is another person whose life has changed due to the big decision that his parents have made. For instance, will he end up with an accent that's slightly British and a little bit Canadian? Who knows. 

Only time will tell what the Sussexes' post-royal life will look like, but it seems like, regardless of any potential reservations, Markle and Harry will both be embracing their new life with open arms.