Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan announced in January 2020 that they were stepping down from their major royal posts and sought independence. That same year, the couple and their son, Archie, emigrated from the United Kingdom to California in the United States.
Harry spoke out about the challenges of being a royal in an interview with “The Late Late Show” presenter James Corden. He also explained why they had chosen to step down from their royal responsibilities.
The Duke of Sussex stated in the rare interview that he prefers the royal life represented on the program “The Crown.” Meghan’s husband addressed the decision, saying they all know how the British press can be, and it was wreaking havoc on his mental health. This is poisonous, he thought. So he did what any husband or parent would do.
But that wasn’t the only motive the Sussexes felt compelled to take such dramatic steps. In a CBS tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Meghan reportedly claimed that when living in the UK, she became suicidal while pregnant with her baby.
She approached a member of the Royal Family, but was informed that seeking mental health treatment would harm the family’s reputation. Harry discussed his wife’s previous suicide ideas and how poorly he managed them when appearing in his documentary, “The Me You Can’t See.”
When his wife revealed to him that she was in pain, the duke thought he should have done much more. Maybe the stress Meghan and Harry were under ultimately caught up with them and manifested physically when they miscarried.
The duchess revealed in a story for The New York Times that she miscarried her second child in July 2020. Meghan took part in a discussion regarding abortions and miscarriages after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.
Harry’s wife expressed gratitude for her 2 kids. The monarch stated that she understood how it felt to have “a relationship to what is growing inside of your body,” and that what occurred to women’s bodies was very personal to her.
Yet, she thought that this resulted in a shame and secrecy around abortions and miscarriages, despite the fact that many women coped with such personal concerns. Meghan stressed that she had experienced miscarriage.
During an Apple TV Plus interview, Harry discussed his mental health and his hardships being a member of the Royal Family. He admitted to seeing general practitioners, physicians, and therapists before meeting his wife to help him sort out his life. Meeting Meghan, on the other hand, was the final motivator for him to improve, as he stated that he realized that if he didn’t go to therapy and mend himself, he’d lose this lady with whom he could picture himself spending the rest of his life.
The Sussexes, according to Vanity Fair, chose to take a step back before making their public announcement. They emailed Harry’s father, Prince Charles, and the Queen, requesting a meeting in person.
Nevertheless, the email was unclear about the meeting’s purpose in order to prevent it from becoming public information if it was leaked. Before Christmas in 2019, the couple expressed a wish to relocate abroad.
In February 2021, Harry and Corden enjoyed an open-top bus tour in Los Angeles. With their independence from the royals, the Sussexes were able to engage in frequent interviews.
The duke and his wife had been in Santa Barbara for about a year when the Corden interview took place. He described their lives in the United States as simple: having tea with Archie, showering him, reading him a book, putting him down, and walking downstairs.
Meghan would then cook something to eat or order takeout. Then they’d go upstairs to get into bed, watch some “Jeopardy!” or maybe watch some Netflix like any other family.
The couple’s 18,000-square-foot house in Montecito, California, cost $14.65 million.
Archie began attending school in early 2022, where he learned “emotional literacy,” how to be nice and care for the environment, and meditation. While the majority of celebs sent their kids to All Saints by the Sea Episcopal School.
However, Harry and Meghan opted for a more distant and less conventional school. Archie’s mom was reportedly observed driving him to school and dropping him off while holding his space-themed lunchbox and green backpack.
A parent of one of the little boy’s classmates claimed that Harry frequently dropped and picked up Archie. According to the source, the king looked to be a decent father, and the other parents welcomed him and his wife.
The kids at school regarded Archie as one of them and had no idea his parents were royalty. The other youngsters, according to the source, would probably not care about the boy’s parentage unless the duchess was a Disney princess!
The Sussexes astonished all when they declared the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Diana, in June 2021. The tiny girl was welcomed at California’s Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
According to Nicky Haslam, a socialite, interior designer, and royal acquaintance, the Queen assumed the baby would be called “Elizabeth,” rather than a private name like “Lilibet.”
Harry and Meghan disclosed in their statement that the daughter’s first name was inspired by her great-grandmother, the Queen, whose family nickname was Lilibet. Princess Diana, the child’s late grandmother, was also honored with her middle name.
When the news of Lilibet’s birth broke in 2021, Jonny Dymond, the BBC’s royal correspondent, said the Sussexes had not asked the Queen if they may use her nickname for their baby.
The royal couple replied by bringing a lawsuit against the BBC, saying that the article was “wrong and derogatory.” According to their representative, Harry consulted with his family before making the news, and he added that in fact, his grandma was the first person he contacted.
Meghan’s husband mentioned “their desire of calling their kid Lilibet in her respect” during the chat. The official also indicated that if the Queen had not been supportive, the newlyweds would not have adopted the name.
According to Nicky Haslam, a socialite, interior designer, and royal acquaintance, the Queen assumed the baby would be called “Elizabeth,” rather than a private name like “Lilibet.” Haslam revealed that Harry contacted his grandmother to request permission, and she agreed.
He said, though, that she was unaware her pseudonym would be used since Harry never defined the situation. Haslam voiced his comments during an episode of The Third Act podcast in April 2022, wondering why the pair didn’t call Lilibet “Doria” after Meghan’s mom, claiming it was “the finest name ever.”
