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From Marie Claire
- The full account, published by the Daily Mail, suggests, among other things, that Harry broke the news of the exit to the Queen via email.
- The report contains several bold and surprising quotes from unnamed courtiers and other sources described as close to the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from their duties as senior members of the royal family sent shockwaves around the globe when it was announced earlier this year.
It’s well known among royal watchers that the Sussexes’ bombshell decision reportedly also came as a shock to other members of the royal family. In a new, detailed account of the behind-the-scenes drama of the royal exit, however, the Daily Mail revealed that that surprising news was delivered to the royal family via email.
According to the Mail‘s report, Harry sent an email to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and his father, Prince Charles, letting them know that “he and Meghan wanted out.” That message was apparently sent in early January, shortly before Harry returned to London from his holiday break.
Apparently, both Elizabeth and Charles tried to talk Harry into waiting to announce the decision, but to no avail.
“They understood that he and Meghan wanted something different and were willing to help but it was complicated,” a source told the Daily Mail. “There were issues like security and funding, visas and tax, which neither of them had thought through. Harry was told to put his request in writing and come up with some ideas. He thought his family were stonewalling and decided to push the nuclear button.”
The full account is full of blunt, sometimes shocking claims and hot takes about what went down behind-the-scenes of the royal exit—all from anonymous sources, of course. Here are a few of the boldest statements from the piece:
On the state of Harry’s relationship with the rest of the royal family:
“Harry has given up everything, literally everything. He has burnt every single bridge back at home. And Meghan? Well I rather think she’s got what she wanted…”
Photo credit: PHIL HARRIS – Getty Images
On the likelihood of Harry and Meghan returning to their work as senior royals:
“The trouble is that they are so obstinate, stubborn and convinced of the righteousness of their cause, that even if Harry privately regretted it, he wouldn’t want to lose faith and admit they were wrong.”
On the Queen’s reaction:
“Her Majesty was shocked. People were angry the Queen had been so disrespected.”
Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo – Getty Images
On Harry’s struggles with the royal exit:
“Harry didn’t know how to handle the situation. He would often go into see his private secretary, Samantha Cohen, begging her to help. It was a bit of a mess.”
And:
“Harry had been hopeful of finding a way to marry his desire for more freedom with his royal heritage, but Meghan convinced him there was no other option, She forced him to choose. He has spent three months convincing himself he has done the right thing.”
On Meghan’s struggles with life in the United Kingdom:
“She grossly misjudged how culturally different the UK is from America. And then you add to that the protocol…To be fair, she didn’t really have any girlfriends to say to her ‘if you don’t wear a hat when you are with the Queen, you are going to mess this up.’ She didn’t understand how bad it was to get something as simple as that so wrong.”
Photo credit: WPA Pool – Getty Images
The full, dramatic Daily Mail account of the royal exit here.
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