Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made the difficult decision to step back as senior members of the royal family because the pair felt they had no other choice, according to one royal expert.
Omid Scobie, royal editor of HarpersBazaar.com, says he witnessed the Sussexes’ first photoshoot as a couple in 2017 and followed the pair closely throughout their many royal engagements over the years, up until Meghan’s tearful goodbye at Buckingham Palace this week.
Now, the expert claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “never” expected to make such a bold departure. Instead, he believes they were forced out.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9.
(Phil Harris – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“To say they were crushed is an understatement,” Scobie wrote of Harry and Meghan’s realization that Megxit was the next step.
The expert claimed the couple’s decision is one they “still feel wasn’t necessary” but the pair was “left with no other choice but to create their own change after being left to fend for themselves” — even amid Meghan’s pregnancy.
“They knew something had to change, but they also didn’t want to stop supporting the queen. One can’t help but wonder if things might have been different if a family member or two had stood up for them during the darkest times,” Scobie continued.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry felt they had no other choice but to step down as senior members of the royal family, expert Omid Scobie says.
(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Jan. 8 marked the day Meghan and Harry stunned the world and their families with the announcement of their impending departure as senior royals. Meghan reportedly left for Canada on Monday as Prince Harry stayed back in the U.K. following the Commonwealth Day Service.
Meghan and Harry are “very much hurting,” Scobie claims.
Tensions were running high between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Sussexes at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey.
(Phil Harris / Pool via AP)
Prince Harry is also reeling from having to give up his military honors after serving in the British army for 10 years, Scobie added, calling it a “wound that will take time to heal.”
Scobie’s claims come amid reports Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton, is particularly struggling with Prince Harry’s exit.
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A source close to the palace told Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl that the Duchess of Cambridge feels “very sad” about the couple’s last appearance before stepping down as senior royals.
Scobie concluded Megxit is a dark ending for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“For a couple who only ever wanted to focus on their work and bring good to the world, it seems like an unnecessarily cruel ending to their royal lives. Forced to give up roles they’re incredibly proud of after sacrificing so much to get there,” he said.