Members of the royal family in the UK are routinely scrutinized by the public and the news media. Because of constant harassment that endangered his family, in 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, made the historic decision to resign from the couple’s royal duties.
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William know the disastrous effects of paparazzi and press harassment better than anyone. Memories of their mother’s (Princess Diana) hounding from photographers is cemented in their minds, and was the cause of her tragic death.
The announcement to resign their position as active royals was made via the couple’s Instagram page on January 8, 2020. It read, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”
Harry and Meghan hoped to “become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
One way of becoming “financially independent,” involves a $100 million deal with Netflix. They have also been seen on Oprah and earn money from publication of their personal stories, which people all over the world are fascinated by.
Their plans included splitting their time between the UK and the US. Currently, the couple lives in a mansion in Montecito, California with their two young children.
On January 13, 2020, a statement from Queen Elizabeth II showed her approval and support. “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” it said. The Queen said that the royal family respected and understood the young couple’s “wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of [the Queen’s] family.”
In 2017, Duncan Larcombe’s biography, “Prince Harry: The Inside Story” was published. It talked about the prince’s life during his years at the elite Eton boarding school, his military service and his social life.
“Children dream of one day being a prince,” Larcombe told Fox News Digital. “Harry, his whole life, has dreamed of one day being normal.”
Prince Harry said this himself in 2021, when he candidly admitted he struggled with media scrutiny that came with being a royal.
In spite of “struggling with media scrutiny,” Prince Harry gave an interview with Oprah Winfrey for the Apple TV+ documentary series, “The Me You Can’t See.” He admitted, “I always wanted to be normal, as opposed to being Prince Harry, just being Harry.”
He told Oprah that the happiest times of his life occurred during his 10 years in the army. He said, he “got to wear the same uniform as everybody else. I had to do all the same training as everybody else. I started from the bottom like everybody else.”
Is the prince able to realize this dream of being normal amid his decision to step away from the spotlight? Does he ever really step away from the spotlight?
Royal expert, author Larcombe said he does not think so, and claimed others share his belief. “Harry looks desperately unhappy,” he said.
Larcombe said Prince Harry still has the notoriety he already had. If the prince wants to reach out to famous personalities like Steven Spielberg and Barack Obama, it is attainable for him, like it has been since Harry was 18-years-old. “So, there’s no novelty for him being top of the tree in Los Angeles.”
“So, what we’re seeing unfold in front of our eyes is a prince who, frankly, seems to have sacrificed absolutely everything and gained very, very little in return,” Larcombe believes.
Larcombe said that Prince Harry and his brother William will have to make difficult choices in the future if they are going to repair the rift that has presumably occurred in the brothers’ relationship. He said the two were close in the past, and that “Deep down there is hope that they’ll make up for it.”
Of course, there is some comfort is living on different continents, as some who endure family Thanksgiving dinners might agree.
