Prince Harry, Meghan Markle caused queen stress in final years: author
Hugo Vickers, author of “Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History,” details how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s exit and Oprah interview added strain during the late monarch’s final years.
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Prince Harry may have finally found a way to live the life that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, refused to endorse.
On Sept. 8, 2022, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died after 70 years on the throne. She was 96. On Aug. 26 this year, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, returned to the U.K., where their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will attend school.
As the Sussexes settle into their new life in Britain, with details about their private home and their children’s school closely guarded, royal experts told Fox News Digital that the arrangement recalls the “half-in, half-out” proposal the late queen rejected.
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE’S UK MOVE PUTS FRESH SPOTLIGHT ON THEIR EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS AGAINST ROYAL FAMILY
From left: Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018, in London, England. The couple stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They returned to the United Kingdom before Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet started school in September 2026.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
“Harry may feel vindicated because, superficially, he has created something resembling the freedom he originally wanted,” Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube show “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital. “But I think calling it a victory misunderstands what the queen rejected.”
“I see absolutely no reason to believe she would have changed her mind,” Schofield said. “Queen Elizabeth spent 70 years protecting the distinction between the crown and the individual. It seems unlikely that one of the defining judgements of her final years would suddenly have become negotiable.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022, during Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking the monarch’s 70 years of service.(Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/
While the Sussexes have returned to the U.K. for an extended stay, they won’t resume their roles as working royals. They will live in a private, non-royal residence outside London while maintaining their California home and a property in Portugal. People magazine reported that Meghan is in early talks for a role in the Netflix drama “The Gentlemen.”
On Monday, the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, sent a letter to senior officials in the government and military, as well as lord lieutenants, the king’s personal representatives around the country.
The letter drew a firm line around the Sussexes’ homecoming, reaffirming that the couple will not resume official duties.
“It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of The Sovereign, and are no longer working Members of The Royal Family,” a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III read, Fox News can confirm. “This position, distinct from the State and Royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected.”
“It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the letter added. “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
A letter sent on behalf of King Charles on Monday reaffirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not resume official duties.(Isabel Infantes//POOL/AFP
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 after describing intense scrutiny from the British press and saying they lacked support from the palace.
“Following conversations with the duke, the queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” a statement from Buckingham Palace read at the time.
From left: Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018, in London, England. The couple stepped back as senior royals in 2020.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
In response, the couple issued a statement of their own, saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex depart Canada House in London, on Jan. 7, 2020.(Chris Jackson/
British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital the queen drew a firm line before the couple’s departure, insisting the Sussexes could not be “half in, half out” as working royals.
“Her position was simply stated as ‘all in or all out,’” Fordwich said. “While King Charles has maintained that position, he is likely to be more open to private reconciliation and family gatherings, especially if Harry refrains from further public attacks on the family. Prince William, however, remains resistant to any formal restoration of royal duties for Harry.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Sept. 19, 2022, in Windsor, England
In 2020, Harry attended the Sandringham Summit at Queen Elizabeth II’s Norfolk estate, where senior royals determined the terms of his and Meghan’s departure from royal life.
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex sits in a car as she attends Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral and burial in London on Sept. 19, 2022.(POOL/AFP
According to People magazine, it was there that the late queen made her position clear. After lengthy discussions, Harry was told there would be no “half-in, half-out” role for the Sussexes. They could not remain working royals while also pursuing independent, income-generating ventures.
In his memoir “Spare,” Harry recalled the Sandringham meeting and wrote that he believed the royals would consider five options for the Sussexes. “Option Five” called for a full departure. After about an hour, the queen’s private secretary — nicknamed “The Bee” by Harry — distributed drafts of a statement announcing “Option Five.” Harry wrote that he was stunned.
From left: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II attend the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on June 26, 2018.(John Stillwell/WPA Pool/
“Wait. I’m confused,” he wrote. “You’ve already drafted a statement? Before any discussion? Announcing Option Five? In other words, the fix was in this whole time? This summit was just for show?”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Sept. 19, 2022.(Christopher Furlong/
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital he believes the palace made a mistake by rejecting the proposal outright.
“In my view, the queen was very badly advised by her representatives over the ‘half in, half out’ policy,” he said. “I cannot see any reason in this day and age why it could not work. It shows a level of hypocrisy. Harry and Meghan could have remained in the royal fold without costs to the public purse. And yet, this was deemed unacceptable.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Queen Elizabeth II attend Day 1 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, on June 19, 2018.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
Schofield argued the queen had good reason to reject the proposal.
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Sandringham House, the royal family’s estate in Norfolk, England.(Radcliffe/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/
“The queen had already learned the dangers of ‘half in, half out’ long before Harry and Meghan proposed it,” she explained.
“Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie attempted to maintain commercial careers alongside royal duties, with Edward running his television company and Sophie working in public relations. The arrangement became increasingly uncomfortable for the institution, especially as their professional lives generated headlines that risked trading on their royal connections. Ultimately, they abandoned those careers and became full-time working royals.”
Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward depart Soufriere by boat on Day 6 of their Platinum Jubilee royal tour of the Caribbean on April 27, 2022, in Soufriere, Saint Lucia.(Stuart C. Wilson – Pool/
“That experience demonstrated exactly why the lines need to be clear,” Schofield continued. “You are either representing the Crown and accepting the restrictions that come with that privilege, or you are pursuing a private, commercial life. Trying to do both inevitably raises questions about royal status, access and whether relationships are being leveraged for personal gain.”
Prince Harry told the BBC in 2025 that he’s ready for reconciliation.(Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Schofield argued senior royals dedicate themselves fully to serving the crown and supporting the monarch as a united front. She said it would have been “unfair” to relax those restrictions for the Sussexes while allowing them to benefit from their royal status. In the queen’s eyes, commercial freedom was “incompatible” with royal service.
“The queen might have wanted more family connection with Harry and Meghan, but she wouldn’t have compromised the constitutional aspects of such an arrangement,” Fordwich said. “She would also have been deeply wary of the commercial conflicts it could create. It would have set a precedent for other royals wanting to have it both ways.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend the annual Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 18, 2015, in London, England.(Julian Simmonds – WPA Pool /
Before Harry and Meghan returned to Britain, Simon Vigar, author of “The Four Wives of Windsor,” told Fox News Digital that a “hybrid” model was inevitable.
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King Charles III ascended to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
“[The Sussexes] thought they could have a hybrid role of having a business life and a private life, while also spending a few months in the U.K. supporting the queen,” he shared. “Harry believed that was an option, which was whipped away from him.”
After stepping back from royal duties, the Sussexes signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify and publicly aired their grievances in interviews, documentaries and Harry’s memoir, further straining his relationship with the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth sits with Prince William and Prince Harry in the royal box at Guards Polo Club, Smiths Lawn, Windsor.(Tim Graham Photo Library
In 2025, Harry told the BBC he was ready for reconciliation and eager to spend more time with his father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, relocated to California in 2020.(Chris Jackson/
According to aver company from the U.K., while Harry will spend more time working with his U.K.-based charities
In July, the Sussexes privately met with the king at his Highgrove estate. It was the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Highgrove House, the king’s private residence, in Doughton, Gloucestershire.(Neil Bennett/Mirrorpix/
Schofield questioned whether Harry has any regrets about his grandmother’s final years.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after escorting Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state on Sept. 14, 2022, in London.(Emilio Morenatti – WPA Pool/
“Harry says he loved his grandmother, and has spoken very warmly about their relationship,” she said.
“But some of his choices during her final years became part of an already difficult period for the royal family. Whatever grievances Harry had with the institution, his grandmother was elderly, recently widowed and approaching the end of an entire life of service. There are conversations he can never have with her and decisions he can never revisit with her.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
