Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making a fresh start in the U.S. after turning their backs on royal life earlier this year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced back in January that they would be stepping down as senior royals to focus on their family and charities. Two months later, they officially withdrew from their roles.
Now, a new report claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are giving the “clearest sign” that they are no longer associated with the Royal Family. The couple mentioned in their withdrawal announcement that they wish to be “financially independent” and they are clearly doing that now after signing a mega-deal with Netflix.
The New York Times reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer receiving funds from Prince Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also repaid the £2.4 million refurbishings of their U.K. resident, Frogmore Cottage, which was funded by British taxpayers.
ITV Royal Rota podcast hosts Chris Ship and Lizzie Robinson discussed the stark message of the couple’s financial independence. “I suppose what they're kind of trying to do is deny any justification for any media intrusion… A lot of the commentary around this was that this couldn't be a clearer sign that they are done, cut ties with their lives as working members of the Royal Family,” Ship said.
Lizzie Robinson added that a lot of people see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal and payment of Frogmore Cottage as a significant move, as it means that they have no ties with the Royal Family anymore, so they are not coming back. "Yes, the ties have been well and truly severed,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry is one of the most popular and well-loved members of the Royal Family. Despite being dubbed the "Royal Bad Boy" during his younger years, the prince's charisma made it hard for people not to like him. However, a royal expert claims that the Duke of Sussex is becoming less of himself after marrying Meghan Markle in 2018.
Angela Levin, who wrote the biography Harry, previously argued that the book Finding Freedom reveals that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle focus more on the negatives rather than the positives in their lives. When asked if the Duke of Sussex has changed from the individual she met when researching her book, she said that the prince changed a lot.
