Yahoo Finance Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'in a good place' and 'doing amazing things' a year after Megxit
Watch: Harry and Meghan ‘in a very good place’ one year after shock Megxit statement
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are “in a good place” and their organisation is “doing amazing things” a year after they announced they wanted to step back as senior royals.
On 8 January 2020 the royal couple surprised their family and fans as they announced on social media that they wanted to relinquish their senior royal roles, instead representing the Queen part-time and also being able to make their own money.
Now, the couple live in California with their son Archie, who turned one during lockdown last Spring.
And a source has revealed to PA that they are in a good place after the tumultuous year.
The source said: “After a very turbulent 12 months for everyone in the world and massive changes of moving country and all the rest of it, they have also been very vocal about what they have gone through in their own personal life.
“They have a house. They have created the financial independence that they were after.
“They have launched their organisation and their organisation is under way doing amazing things already.
“And so I think that they are in a very good place.”
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Harry, now 36, and Meghan, 39, said they wanted to step back in order to retain more privacy for them and their family.
The step back has given them confidence to go after newspapers when they fear their privacy is being breached, and they have been successful in securing apologies over photographs taken of Meghan and Archie in Canada during the Christmas break of 2019.
They also wanted to make their own money and have financial independence. Since stepping back, they have secured lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, enabling them to pay off the £2.4m renovation costs of their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, and buy an £11m ‘forever’ home in Santa Barbara.
It has not shielded them from criticism, and they have faced backlash in the UK from commentators about their decisions, including encouraging Americans to vote in the US election in November.
Meghan was widely supported when she revealed she had a miscarriage in the summer, but even that deeply personal article did not stop some from questioning if she was breaching her own privacy.
While the COVID-19 pandemic meant they could not get their plans into action as quickly as they hoped, they have recently been able to start their foundation, Archewell, and released their first podcast on Spotify.
They have previously said some of their first Netflix programmes were in production.
The time in lockdown afforded the couple more opportunity to decide what they want to support and focus on as they launch Archewell.
The first project through the foundation was confirmed in December, as they announced it will fund four new community relief centres around the world.
Some of the other issues Archewell is expected to focus on include racial justice, gender equity, climate change and mental health.
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It was after an extended break in Canada over Thanksgiving and Christmas 2019 that Harry and Meghan decided they did not want to remain in their senior royal roles.
After an engagement at Canada House in London, where they thanked the staff for the warm reception in Canada, they posted a photo on Instagram with a caption explaining their hopes of stepping back.
But Buckingham Palace was quick to explain the issue was complicated, and within a few days it was clear their hopes would not quite be met.
There were concerns they would be seen as profiting from the monarchy if they earned money and represented the Queen.
The deal they struck was dubbed a ‘hard Megxit’ and they set their final date as senior royals as 31 March. In the end, they did not carry out official duties after Commonwealth Day, on 9 March.
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A 12-month review period was also set but there is unlikely to be any major announcements made immediately after 31 March 2021.
Harry and Meghan are still known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but agreed to no longer use their HRH stylings. They also don’t use the word royal.
Harry’s honorary military appointments - Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington, and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands’ Small Ships and Diving - were taken from him but have not been reallocated to any other royals.
They were allowed to keep patronages but are no longer representing the Queen in those positions.
With so much in their own plans for the future, it’s unlikely the couple will want to return to their former royal life anytime soon.
