What Prince Harry, Meghan said about Palace under Queen Elizabeth after giving up titles

UK Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 at the age of 96 after being on the throne for 70 years as per the statement released by Buckingham Palace. 

A few years prior to the Queen's death, her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in January 2020. At the time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a joint statement to highlight that they were working to become 'financially independent.'

Meghan & Harry step down as members of Royal Family

On January 9, 2020, Meghan Markle and Harry released a joint statement that read,

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.

It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.

This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.

We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support."

A little over a year later, by February 2021, Prince Harry was stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronage appointments. “In stepping away from the work of the royal family,” the palace said of Harry and Meghan, “it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”

“While we are saddened by their decision,” the statement added, “the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

Meghan & Harry’s sensational allegations against royals

However, what followed thereafter cemented the wedge between the couple and the Royal Family. In 2021, in the wildly-anticipated bombshell interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with celebrity interviewer Oprah Winfrey, their two-hour-long conversation had several damming allegations.

From Meghan revealing that there were conversations about their son Archie’s skin colour to Harry saying that his father, Prince Charles and brother, Prince William are ‘trapped’ by the conventions of UK monarchy, the sensational allegations and revelations by the couple pushed their relationship with the Royal Family to a new low. 

Meghan revealed that she had suicidal thoughts and struggled with her mental health shortly after becoming a part of the Royal Institution. The 39-year-old said in the exclusive sit-down interview aired by CBS that the “stress and isolation” drove her to contemplate taking her own life while she was pregnant with son Archie. She also claimed that a senior Palace official denied her getting treatment for her depression because it would “look bad”.