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On 8 January 2020,
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succe ...
and
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family and former actress. She is the wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III. Meghan was ...
, announced on
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their decision to "step back as 'senior' members" of the British royal family, split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, and become financially independent. This was dubbed Megxit, a portmanteau of the words "Meghan" and "exit" and a play on the term
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
, and adopted globally on mainstream and social media, spawning various
Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
s and "Megxit" merchandising. The announcement of their decision led to a meeting of the royal family on 13 January, dubbed the "Sandringham Summit" and described as "unprecedented". Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
issued a rare personal statement on her family, and was praised for her rapid handling of the matter. On 18 January, an agreement was announced whereby the couple would "no longer be working members of Britain's royal family", and would not use their "
Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...
" styles. The outcome was described as a "
hard Hard may refer to: * Hardness, resistance of physical materials to deformation or fracture * Hard water, water with high mineral content Arts and entertainment * ''Hard'' (TV series), a French TV series * Hard (band), a Hungarian hard rock supe ...
Megxit". ''
Collins English Dictionary The ''Collins English Dictionary'' is a printed and online dictionary of English. It is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow. The edition of the dictionary in 1979 with Patrick Hanks as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, was ...
'' added "Megxit" to its online edition as a top-ten Word of 2020. A twelve-month review period was allowed in case the couple changed their minds. On 19 February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess would relinquish their royal patronages, as they were not returning as working members of the royal family. The couple's announcement of their decision came to signify the break by the couple from the royal family and its protocol, and their plans for independence under their new brand, then tentatively named ''
Sussex Royal On 8 January 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced on Instagram their decision to "step back as 'senior' members" of the British royal family, split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, a ...
''. In November 2021, Harry described "Megxit" as a
misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
term aimed at Meghan.


Etymology

Megxit is a play on the term 'Brexit' and refers to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stepping back as members of the British royal family. It derives from Meg(han) + (e)xit; influenced by
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
, which was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community at the end of January 2020. ''
Collins English Dictionary The ''Collins English Dictionary'' is a printed and online dictionary of English. It is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow. The edition of the dictionary in 1979 with Patrick Hanks as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, was ...
'' included 'Megxit' as one of their ten "Words of 2020", and listed it in the online edition of their dictionary: Collins told ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'': "It immediately caught on due to its echoes of 'Brexit'". The use of Meghan's name has been taken in some quarters as identifying her as the instigator of the withdrawal.


Naming

British
tabloid newspaper A tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet. There is no standard size for this newspaper format. Etymology The word ''tabloid'' comes from the name given by the London-based pharmaceutical company Burroughs We ...
'' The Sun'' is credited with the first headline use of 'Megxit' on 9 January 2020. BBC News commented that "Sussexit" was trending on social media, but it did not reach the level of use as Megxit in mainstream media. Alternative terms appeared but did not catch on to the same degree either. By 15 January, the term had become so widespread that ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' reported: "Megxit turns into a moneyspinner" for merchandisers who had made clothing and souvenirs using the term. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that the parallels between "Megxit" and "Brexit" were greater than just "clever wordplay", and that the two terms involved the same divisions in British public opinion from "young liberals" (who supported the couple, and who supported staying in the EU), and "older conservatives" (who supported the Queen, and who supported leaving the EU). On 19 January, in reviewing the final agreement, ''The Guardian'' argued that "stepping back" was no longer appropriate, however, the couple had also still not "resigned" nor "abdicated" from the royal family. When reviewing the media reaction to the final agreement, BBC News said "there are no winners as a result of what many of the front pages are calling "Megxit" – the exit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as front-line royals". BBC News, and other British news media, called the final agreement a "hard Megxit", in a further word-play on political term,
hard Brexit In the wake of the referendum held in the United Kingdom on 23 June 2016, many new pieces of Brexit-related jargon entered popular use.Al Jazeera. (2018)''Brexit jargon: From backstop to no deal, 17 key terms explained'' (Al Jazeera) Retrieved 2 ...
. On 28 January, the term had become sufficiently pervasive, that the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' in their ''FT Advisor'' supplement ran a piece for taxation professionals titled, "What if your client wants to do a 'Megxit'?", while '' Vanity Fair'' reported on actor
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
's "Megxit joke", at the
73rd British Academy Film Awards The 73rd British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFAs (or BAFTAs), were held on 2 February 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2019. Presented by the British Academy of Film ...
. The outlet had previously reported on an analysis by the social data analytics firm
Brandwatch Brandwatch is a social media suite company owned by Cision. Brandwatch sells two different solutions: Consumer Intelligence and Social Media Management. Consumer Intelligence is made up of three different products: Consumer Research and add-ons Vi ...
, which concluded that the term "Megxit" had been in use on Twitter since at least the beginning of 2019 and was utilized in negative comments aimed at Meghan.
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
had also claimed that the term was being used by
trolls A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
on the Internet back in April 2019. In November 2021, in a panel at ''
Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
''s Re:Wired Conference, Harry stated that "the term Megxit was or is a
misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll."


Motivations

In October 2019, a source close to the couple spoke to ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', stating that they could establish a second base in the U.S., Canada or Africa to escape tabloid scrutiny. Immediately after the announcement in January 2020, in which they said they were aiming to become financially independent, journalist
Tom Bradby Thomas Matthew Bradby (born 13 January 1967) is a British journalist and novelist who currently presents the ''ITV News at Ten''. He was previously political editor for ITV News from 2005 to 2015, and presented '' The Agenda with Tom Bradby'', ...
claimed that the Sussexes were told during their six-week Christmas break (which turned into a four-month stay) at
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
in Canada that they would not be part of a proposed "slimmed down monarchy". Other concerns raised included perceived ongoing hostile treatment by some in the British tabloid press and alleged issues of racism towards Meghan. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' reported that Prince Harry appeared to "lay the blame at the feet of the press". In a March 2021 television interview with
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
, Harry and Meghan said Megxit was caused by them not getting the help they sought from the royal establishment on issues such as refuting false tabloid stories about Meghan and getting her mental health help. Harry also indicated members of his family closest to the royal institution are trapped ― British constitutional scholar Robert Hazell agrees, and argues that the institution requires a very significant loss of human rights from some of its members. In their 2022
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
docuseries ''
Harry & Meghan ''Harry & Meghan'' is an American documentary series streaming on Netflix, starring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The series has six parts and covers the couple's relationship from their early courtship to their de ...
'', Meghan suggested that couple wanted to move to another country, where they would not be bothered by the
Royal Rota The Royal Rota is the press pool that covers the British royal family. The Royal Rota is made up of a select group of media representatives that are invited to attend and report on royal events, with the understanding that the news and photogra ...
. In 2018, they considered moving to New Zealand, followed by another plan to move to South Africa in 2019, the latter of which, despite being approved by the royal family, was "scrapped" according to Harry after details of it were published by ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' in April 2019. By December 2019, Harry and Meghan were in negotiations with Charles about moving to Canada: "By the time I was speaking to my father from Canada, the family and their people knew that we were trying to find a different way of working for a minimum of two years," suggesting that they had intended to leave even before their wedding.
Dan Wootton Daniel John William Wootton (born 2 March 1983) is a New Zealand born British journalist and broadcaster. He is based in the United Kingdom and holds both New Zealand and British citizenship. He was executive editor of '' The Sun'' newspaper. I ...
has been credited with breaking the story about Megxit and Harry and Meghan's initial plans for moving to Canada in the ''Sun'' on 8 January 2020, which prompted the couple to issue an announcement within hours, confirming their plans for stepping back from their royal duties. Wootton stated that he had been in contact with the couple's spokesperson on 28 December and gave them a ten days' notice before the story broke out, despite facing pressure from royal officials not to run the piece. Sources close to the couple later spoke to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', stating that they "felt forced to disclose their plans prematurely" as they learned about the ''Sun''s intentions to publish the story. Wootton disputed the claim as "They released the statement after we had published the story and had so much notice."


The agreement

''The Times'' speculated as to whether the "Sandringham Summit" would result in a "Hard Megxit" or a "Soft Megxit". After the meeting, the Queen issued a first-person statement, concluding that there was agreement to "a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK". After just under four months in Canada, Harry and Meghan moved with their son
Archie Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...
to the United States, where their daughter Lilibet was born in 2021.


Final agreement

The 'Megxit' statement gave a "Spring 2020" deadline for completion of the agreement, specific known details are as follows:


Main details

* The couple will no longer represent the Queen. This was in contrast to the couple's earlier statement on their ''sussexroyal.com'' website that they would carry out future duties for the Queen. * They will retain the
Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...
style but will not use it, and will be called Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. * They will be financially independent of the British taxpayer/
exchequer In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government reven ...
(and will repay the £2.4 million renovation costs of
Frogmore Cottage Frogmore Cottage is a historic Grade II listed home on the Frogmore estate, which is part of Home Park in Windsor, England. Built in 1801 at the direction of Queen Charlotte in the gardens near Frogmore House, Frogmore Cottage is part of the Cro ...
); * Harry would cease duties for all British military appointments (including
Captain General Royal Marines Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. The current Captain General is King Charles III. This position is distinct from that of the Commandant General Royal Marines, the professional head of the corps, who is c ...
), and would no longer officially represent the royal family at military ceremonies.


Other details

* The couple will spend most of their time in North America. * Frogmore Cottage would continue to function as their British home, but they would pay a "commercial rent" for it. * The couple would retain their private patronages and associations (e.g.
Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' means 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spi ...
), but not royal ones (e.g. Commonwealth Youth Ambassador). * Prince Charles would continue to provide financial support.


Items not included

* The couple's security arrangements were unclear, with the Queen's statement commenting only that "There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security." * It was not clear whether the "Sussex Royal" brand could be used.


Further developments


2020

''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' reported Meghan had signed a voiceover deal with
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, saying that "The arrangement offers a hint of the couple's future life, using their celebrity status to benefit their chosen causes". ''
Business Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
'', speaking to various brand experts, reported: "Megxit, how Harry and Meghan could build a billion-dollar brand". On 19 January 2020, it was reported that Prince Charles would provide the couple with "private financial support" (but not funds from the Duchy of Cornwall), for a full year to give the couple time to establish themselves, and to address fears of the increased costs of their proposed new lifestyle. Later, Harry claimed that security protection and financial support had been cut off by the royal family in "the first quarter" of 2020 and he was able to provide for the family through the money he inherited from his mother, who left him £6.5 million which was invested and gathered substantial interest, and an estimated £10 million was given to Harry on his 30th birthday. During a
Clarence House Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the Duke of Clarence, the future king William IV. Over the years, it has undergone much exte ...
briefing on finances preceding the annual
Sovereign Grant The Sovereign Grant Act 2011 (c. 15) is the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced the Sovereign Grant, the payment which is paid annually to the monarch by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties. It ...
report, a spokesperson stated that Charles "allocated a substantial sum" to support the Duke and Duchess until the summer of 2020. Representatives for the couple responded that Harry's statements were "in reference to the first quarter of the fiscal reporting period" which begins in April. On 21 January 2020, Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
again refused to say who would be picking up the security cost tab upon Harry's reported return to Canada that same day. Separately, ''
The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
'' confirmed that Harry, Meghan, and Archie were staying at a rented house north of
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
. On 14 February 2020, it was reported that the couple had decided to close their office at Buckingham Palace, leading to the suspension of at least 15 employees. On 19 February 2020, the announcement was made that the couple would continue undertaking royal duties until 31 March, after which they would step back and no longer undertake engagements on behalf of the Queen. The couple would continue engagements on behalf of organisations they were involved with, including the 2020
London Marathon The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held ...
in April and the
Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' means 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spi ...
in May (although the latter two events were postponed for October 2020 and 2021 respectively due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
). They would cease using their HRH titles, while the Duke would retain his military ranks, but see the honorary military positions he holds suspended. The situation would then be reviewed after twelve months, in March 2021. Additionally, the couple's attempt to make use of the word "Royal" as part of their planned "Sussex Royal" brand venture was put under review, with an announcement to be made at the planned organisation's official launch. On 21 February 2020, the couple confirmed they would not use the "Sussex Royal" brand "in any territory" following their withdrawal from public life in spring 2020 and all applications filed for trademarking the name were removed. A spokesperson for the couple added that they would continue to work with their existing patronages in addition to establishing a non-profit organisation. On 27 February 2020, Bill Blair, the Canadian
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness The minister of public safety (french: ministre de la sécurité publique) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for overseeing Public Safety Canada, the internal security department of the Government of Canada. The p ...
issued a statement saying "As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis. At the request of the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP) has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada." The statement went on to say that Canada would cease providing security for the couple on 31 March, "in keeping with their change in status." In the same announcement, it was confirmed the RCMP had provided security for the couple on an as-needed basis, since their arrival to Canada in November 2019. During their five-month stay on
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
, Harry and Meghan were protected by the Metropolitan Police and the RCMP, at a cost to Canadian taxpayers of $56,384.00 (CAD). In February 2020 and after their exit from the monarchy was negotiated, the term Internationally Protected People was removed from their website. In late March 2020, it was reported that the couple had relocated to the United States. In response to the US President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's comments that the U.S. government would not pay for the couple's security, a representative of the couple said they had "no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources". During the couple's initial months in California,
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...
provided them with a secure house (in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
), until they were able to make an alternative plan. The American-based private security firm,
Gavin de Becker and Associates Gavin de Becker and Associates is a security and consulting firm that protects many of the world's most prominent people. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company has operations in 27 cities and seven countries. History Gavin de Becker and Ass ...
, was eventually contracted to provide security arrangements for the couple. On 30 March 2020, the couple announced that they would no longer use either their "SussexRoyal" Instagram account or website. Furthermore, it was reported that after closing their office at Buckingham Palace a new team would manage the couple's public image and philanthropic interests in the U.S. with
Sunshine Sachs Ken Sunshine (born March 12, 1948) is an American public relations consultant, co-CEO and founder of Sunshine Sachs Consultants. He began his career in New York City politics, including serving as chief of staff for Mayor David Dinkins. Early l ...
hired to manage their image and Catherine St. Laurent, a former
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
employee, to serve as their chief of staff and run their non-profit organisation. On 6 April 2020, it was reported the couple started the paperwork in the U.S. for a new non-profit organisation, which will be called Archewell (named for their son Archie and from the Greek word ''
archē ''Arche'' (; grc, ἀρχή; sometimes also transcribed as ''arkhé'') is a Greek word with primary senses "beginning", "origin" or "source of action" (: from the beginning, οr : the original argument), and later "first principle" or "element". ...
''). On 20 April 2020, the Duke and Duchess announced that they would no longer cooperate with the British tabloids, including ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'', '' The Sun'', ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'', and ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'', as well as the Sunday and online editions of those publications. In July 2020, the Duke and Duchess bought a mansion in
Montecito, California Montecito (Spanish for "Little mountain") is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. p. 58. . Located ...
, with the intention to make it their family home. It was later claimed by royal reporters
Omid Scobie Omid William Scobie (born July 1981) is a British journalist and writer best known for co-authoring the book ''Finding Freedom''. Scobie's work focuses on the British royal family. Early life and education Scobie was born in Wales in July 1981 ...
and Carolyn Durand that the couple had taken out a
mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any pu ...
on their new home. In September 2020, the Duke paid back the refurbishment costs of Frogmore Cottage in full, an estimated £2.4m. In November and December 2020, it was reported that his cousin
Princess Eugenie Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank ( ; Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Ch ...
and her husband
Jack Brooksbank Jack Christopher Stamp Brooksbank (born 3 May 1986) is an English bar manager and brand ambassador. He is the husband of Princess Eugenie of the United Kingdom, making him a member of the British royal family. Early life and family Brooksban ...
had moved in and out of
Frogmore Cottage Frogmore Cottage is a historic Grade II listed home on the Frogmore estate, which is part of Home Park in Windsor, England. Built in 1801 at the direction of Queen Charlotte in the gardens near Frogmore House, Frogmore Cottage is part of the Cro ...
at
Home Park, Windsor The Home Park, previously known as the Little Park (and originally Lydecroft Park), is a private Royal park, administered by the Crown Estate. It lies on the eastern side of Windsor Castle in the town and former civil parish of Windsor in the E ...
, after six weeks' stay.


2021

On 15 February 2021, CBS revealed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be giving an interview to
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
. Meghan would discuss "stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work (and) how she is handling life under intense public pressure," with Winfrey. Harry would join them to "speak about their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family". On 19 February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the couple would not return as working members of the royal family. They further added that the couple would not "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service". As a result, the Duke and Duchess were required to give up several military, honorary and charitable appointments. Among the patronages and appointments that were given up by the Duke were: *
Captain General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...
, the
Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
* Honorary Air Commandant,
RAF Honington Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regim ...
* Commodore-in-Chief, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving * President,
The Queen's Commonwealth Trust The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) is a charity that supports young people aged 18-35 across the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth. The focus is on social entrepreneurs who have founded organisations to address problems in their communiti ...
* Patron, the
Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...
* Patron, the
Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
Similarly the Duchess gave up her roles as: * Vice-President, The Queen's Commonwealth Trust * Patron, the
Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
* Patron, the
Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is ...
Harry will keep his patronages of the
Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' means 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spi ...
Foundation,
Sentebale Sentebale is a registered charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Sentebale helps children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV status. It provides a safe environment for them t ...
,
WellChild WellChild is a charity that provides care for seriously ill children and young people in the United Kingdom, founded in 1977. The charity introduced and funds WellChild Nurses, who provide care and support to children and young people needing long-t ...
, and
Walking With The Wounded Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is a British charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), th ...
, while Meghan will remain patron of Smart Works and Mayhew. A spokesperson for the couple stated that Harry and Meghan "have offered their continued support to organisations ... regardless of official role", and asserted that "service is universal". In March 2021, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' estimated that the cost for the couple's around-the-clock protection to be around $2 to $3 million. In April 2021, data obtained after the submission of a request under the
Freedom of Information Act Freedom of Information Act may refer to the following legislations in different jurisdictions which mandate the national government to disclose certain data to the general public upon request: * Freedom of Information Act 1982, the Australian act * ...
revealed that
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
had dealt with "calls recorded as phone requests, alarm activations and property crimes" between July 2020 and February 2021, all of which were related to the couple's security issues at their residence in Montecito. In the same month, ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' reported that Harry and Meghan had held meetings surrounding "well-developed proposals" with the now-defunct streaming service
Quibi Quibi ( ) was a short-lived American short-form streaming platform that generated content for viewing on mobile devices. It was founded in Los Angeles in August 2018 as NewTV by Jeffrey Katzenberg and was led by Meg Whitman, its CEO. The servic ...
a year before their departure from the royal family. The couple reportedly met with
Jeffrey Katzenberg Jeffrey Katzenberg (; born December 21, 1950) is an American filmmaker, animator, and media proprietor. He became well known for his tenure as chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994. After departing Disney, he was a co-founder and CE ...
and other executives "throughout 2019", with alleged plans to "discuss .their own series of 10-minute videos".


2022

In January 2022, it was revealed that Harry had been in a legal fight since September 2021 to challenge the Home Office's refusal to allow him to pay for police protection in a personal capacity when in the UK. His legal representative stated that Harry initially made the offer during the Sandringham Summit, but it was dismissed. After stepping back from his duties, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) had placed him in an "exceptional category", as a result of which his future police protection in the UK would be contingent on the reason and circumstances of each visit as well as the functions he carries. After receiving applications by the Duke and the Home Office to keep parts of the case private, the High Court ruled in March 2022 that some parts of it would remain confidential. High Court judge,
Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...
, also reacted to the Duke's legal team sending a copy of the ruling to someone who was not a lawyer, describing it as "entirely unacceptable". Harry's lawyers later claimed that his suggestion to pay for his security was not conveyed properly to the committee by members of the Royal Household, including the Queen's private secretary Sir Edward Young, whose membership in the committee was allegedly not known to him and with whom Harry was facing "significant tensions". Lawyers for the Home Office stated that tensions between Harry and the Royal Household were irrelevant to his change of status and his representations to the committee would have made no difference in the outcome. In July 2022, Swift granted permission for part of Harry's claim to proceed for a judicial review. In April 2022 and on their way to attend the
Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' means 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spi ...
in the Netherlands, the couple made their first joint visit to the United Kingdom since stepping back from royal duties and met the Queen and Prince Charles. The Duke had previously been in the UK on his own for his grandfather's funeral in April 2021 and for unveiling a statue of his mother in July 2021. The couple made their first official appearance in the UK in June 2022 while attending the
Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving The Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday 3 June 2022, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II.Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
, and London. In May 2022, Santa Barbara Police Department received reports of two trespassing incidents at Harry and Meghan's California home within the span of 12 days. As of July 2022, they have had six security incidents in total at the property since May 2021, though one of them occurred after the alarm was "mistakenly tripped". In August 2022, Harry filed a lawsuit against the Home Office and the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
, challenging the decision by RAVEC from January 2022 which stated that State security could not be made available to private individuals even if they wished to pay for it themselves. In November 2022 and in an interview with ''
Channel 4 News ''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982. Current productions ''Channel 4 News'' ''Channel 4 News'' ...
'',
Neil Basu Anil Kanti "Neil" Basu (born 1968) is a senior British police officer. Basu is currently a Non-Executive Director of the College of Policing, leading the strategic command course which prepares police officers and staff for promotion to the mos ...
, the former
National Police Chiefs' Council The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) is a national coordination body for law enforcement in the United Kingdom and the representative body for British police chief officers. Established on 1 April 2015, it replaced the former Association o ...
lead for
Counter Terrorism Policing Counter Terrorism Policing is the national collaboration of law enforcement in the United Kingdom, police forces working to prevent, deter, and investigate terrorism in the United Kingdom. The network is governed by the National Police Collaborati ...
, confirmed the existence of threats against Meghan and Harry, some of which were investigated and resulted in prosecutions.


Reactions


In Britain

The initial British reactions to the 8 January announcement was of surprise, and concern whether the decision was properly thought through; the story dominated the British news cycle. ''The Washington Post'' noted several British polls that showed general support for the couple's desire to move, but with concern over the future exposure of the British exchequer to the couple (and issues of the renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage), and with unhappiness that the Queen's approval had not been sought for their announcement. British prime minister
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
distanced himself from the news, stating: "The royal family is one of the great, great assets of this country. I'm sure they are going to sort it out and I don't think it's necessarily helped by commentary from me." Former
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...
John Bercow John Simon Bercow (; born 19 January 1963) is a British former politician who was Speaker of the House of Commons from 2009 to 2019, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Buckingham between 1997 and 2019. A member of the Conservative Party prior to ...
stated that Meghan experienced "racism, sexism and misogyny". Bercow maintained Meghan's support of feminist values and criticism of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
angered UK "bigot factions". Bercow stated further he understood Meghan and Harry choosing to leave their royal roles, and added "They are entitled to put their marriage and health first."
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
reported on analysis implying that the impact to the British economy from the loss of the couple could be material.
Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
immediately moved its waxwork figures of Harry and Meghan away from the display including the other members of the British royal family to a separate area. On 19 January, ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' described the final agreement between the couple and the royal family as "the hardest possible Megxit", a view shared by many other British news sources; and that "Royal history was made". ''The Guardian'' reported that the "outcome is, perhaps, not the half-in, half-out role the couple appear to have anticipated". On 20 January 2020, royal biographer
Penny Junor Penelope Jane Junor (born 6 October 1949) is an English journalist and author. Early life and education Born in Leatherhead, Surrey, Junor was educated at Benenden School in Kent. Her father was the newspaper editor Sir John Junor and her br ...
also told ''The New York Times'' that "The family is trying to prevent a half-in, half-out arrangement, which doesn't work". On 22 January, ''The Guardian'' published a cartoon by illustrator
Andrzej Krauze Andrzej Krauze (born 7 March 1947) is a Polish-born British cartoonist, illustrator, caricaturist, painter, poster designer and satirist noted for his allegorical, fabulous, symbolic and sometimes scary imagery, as well as his reliance on bl ...
, titled "Brexit and Megxit", saying "The rest of the EU is mesmerised as the UK prepares for Brexit – and Harry and Meghan begin their transition to exiting the royal family".


In Canada

The initial news was for the most part positively received in Canada, where the Duchess of Sussex had based herself with her son,
Archie Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...
. The
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...
,
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
, publicly welcomed the couple, and indicated that Canada would fund
security protection Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted Coercion, coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons an ...
for the couple while they were resident there. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported: "'Megxit' Causes Global Uproar. Canada Shrugs". An opinion poll by the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' found that 61 per cent of 1,515 Canadians polled wanted Harry to become
Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...
. Chris Selley of the ''National Post'' was cynical of the national response and the poll, writing: "The prospect of the Sussexes decamping to Canada seems to have activated a sort of dormant
monarchism Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
in many of us, or at least an appreciation for the "modern-day fairy tale" – and that in turn has utterly incensed those who think monarchies are a grotesque anachronism and can't understand why everyone else doesn't agree with them". ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' published an editorial that rejected the idea of the couple moving to Canada, stating that it broke an "unspoken constitutional taboo" about Canada maintaining distance from the monarchy, expected to rule from afar, stating: "They reign from a distance. Close to our hearts, far from our hearths." The editorial also called for the Canadian government to reject the moving plans. However, the chairman of the
Monarchist League of Canada The Monarchist League of Canada (french: Ligue monarchiste du Canada) is a Canadian nonprofit monarchist advocacy organization.
commented that it "doesn't change the constitutional status of the Queen or the vice-regals" in the country". In a poll released on 15 January by the
Angus Reid Institute Angus Reid (born December 17, 1947) is a Canadian entrepreneur, pollster, and sociologist. He is the chairman of the Angus Reid Institute and CEO and founder of Angus Reid Global. He is director of the Reid Campbell Group which operates Rival Te ...
, 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed followed the developments of Megxit. In the same poll, half of Canadians surveyed stated they do not care if the couple spent significant time in Canada, while 39 per cent of respondents were in favour of it, and 11 per cent found it upsetting. Support for the couple spending significant time in Canada was strongest in Atlantic Canada, and Ontario, and was weakest in Quebec. However, 73 per cent of those surveyed by Angus Reid say that the security costs should be covered by the couple themselves. An online petition from the
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, h ...
garnered more than 90,000 signatures by 23 January 2020, demanding that the couple pay out of their own pocket for their security, which according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation came to C$56,384 in overtime and expenses for the November 2019 to January 2020 portion of their stay that ended in mid-March 2020. Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director of the CTF, said, "We're proud to have given voice to the vast majority of Canadians who felt subsidizing the Sussexes’ lifestyle choices was an outrageous use of tax dollars." As of February 2021, the total for security costs, as well as reimbursements made by the Sussexes, if any, have not been disclosed by the RCMP.


Elsewhere

* On January 12, Brian Moylan wrote an opinion piece for
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
, stating the press's treatment of the couple needed to change "But partly withdrawing for more control seems like a fool's errand. There might be a balance to be struck between just how public they want their lives to be and how they're covered, but the Sussexes are lying to themselves — or us — by acting as if they are above the lucrative cycle of influence, access and branding that is the modern celebrity culture." * On 20 January, American public broadcasting news program ''
PBS NewsHour ''PBS NewsHour'' is an American evening television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virg ...
'' had a piece entitled, "Why Harry and Meghan's 'Megxit' is a crossroads for the UK on race", saying that: "Megxit shows where the UK falls short on reckoning with race", and questioning the "myth of 'post-racial' societies". * On 21 January, the ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
'' ran an opinion by Melissa Stevens: "Why Megxit is a win for women and girls: there's a lot more to real life than being a princess", and asking the question "what woman, especially a self-proclaimed feminist, would really be satisfied with living a life where she can't speak out or act without royal clearance?" * On 22 January,
Armstrong Williams Armstrong Williams (born February 5, 1962) is an American political commentator, entrepreneur, author, and talk show host. Williams writes a nationally syndicated conservative newspaper column, has hosted a daily radio show, and hosts a nationa ...
wrote an opinion in '' The Hill'' titled: "Megxit, Trump and the generational divide", that concluded, "If one paid attention to only Obama's or Markle's race, one might see the social evolution one is seeking. But if one looks at the social and economic divides they also inhabit, one could also see why the reaction against them, among the working class, has been so stark". * On 23 January, journalist
Michael Barbaro Michael Barbaro (born October 12, 1979) is an American journalist and host of ''The New York Times'' news podcast, '' The Daily'', one of the most popular podcasts in the United States. Early life Barbaro grew up in North Haven, Connecticut. H ...
hosted a podcast for the ''New York Times'', "Harry and Meghan. (And Why Their Saga Matters.)" with the tagline: "They were expected to modernize a former empire in a moment of political transition. Instead, Harry and Meghan walked away", and how themes in modern Britain, such as race, diversity, and Brexit, might have shaped the couple's decision. * On 27 January, political science university professor Eileen Hunt Botting wrote an opinion in the 'Washington Post' titled "'Megxit' wouldn't have surprised 18th-century political thinkers", that noted, "While Brexit stages the exit of Britain from the European Union after a contentious popular referendum, Megxit dramatizes a different and in some ways deeper form of democratization". * On 18 March,
Caitlin Flanagan Caitlin Flanagan (born November 14, 1961) is an American writer and social critic. A contributor to ''The Atlantic'' since February 2001, she was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2019. Her 2004 piece for ''The New Yorker'' was e ...
writing in ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' said that "Meghan and Harry overplayed their hand", and that "Megxit is the most complicated, self-involved, grandiose, shortsighted, letter of partial, fingers-crossed resignation in history".


''Sussex Royal''

On 1 July 2019, documents were filed at Companies House registering the incorporation of ''Sussex Royal The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex'' listing the Duke and the Duchess as Directors. During August through to October 2019 they appointed broadcaster and former
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
presenter
Kirsty Young Kirsty Jackson Young (born 23 November 1968) is a Scottish television and radio presenter. From 2006 to 2018 she was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''. She presented ''Crimewatch'' on BBC One from 2008 to 2015. Early ...
, financier and philanthropist
Stefan Allesch-Taylor Stefan Paul Allesch-Taylor CBE FKC (born 6 May 1969) is a British entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster, and educator. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours and was appointed as the ...
, business leader and media executive
Karen Blackett Karen Tracey Blackett (born 7 August 1971) is a British Barbadian businesswoman who works in the advertising industry and is the CEO of Group M. She became the Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth in October 2017. Early life Blackett g ...
and banker Steven Cooper to serve as Directors of their Foundation. Harry and Meghan also used the handle @sussexroyal on
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
, which previously belonged to Kevin Keiley. Keiley, a
Reading F.C. Reading Football Club ( ) is a professional Association football, football club based in Reading, Berkshire, England. The team play in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is manag ...
fan from West Sussex, said that his handle was changed by Instagram to @_sussexroyal_ without any of their representatives or people representing Harry and Meghan contacting him first though Instagram said his handle was changed because the account was inactive. On 8 January 2020, the couple provided further back-up statements to their
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post, via a link on their Instagram post to a new website,
sussexroyal.com
', a brand platform that was initially expected to form an important part of their plans for financial independence, and which posted follow up statements on their announcement. The website was designed by the same Canadian team who built '' The Tig'' for Meghan in 2017, and was completed over the Christmas holidays when the couple were in Canada. By 10 January, newspapers were reporting that the couple filed for a trademark for "Sussex Royal" on a range of items including clothing and printed items, though it also emerged that an Italian applicant had registered an EU application to trademark products using a "Sussex Royal" brand. The word "Royal" and images of royal crowns have special protection under UK intellectual property law. On 11 January, ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' reported that couple would launch their "Sussex Royal Foundation" in April modelled along the lines of
Obama Foundation The Barack Obama Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded in 2014. It oversees the creation of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, runs the My Brother's Keeper Alliance (a program Barack Obama began while he was president), ...
,
Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...
, and
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
. Follow-up reports showed the couple had filed
World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, 15 specialized agencies of the United Nation ...
trademarks for: "Sussex Royal the Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex". In 2019, the couple stepped back from
The Royal Foundation The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales is a charity which supports the work of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their projects revolve around conservation, the early years, mental health, and the emergency services. History ...
, which they had led jointly with the
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
and
Duchess of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...
. Later reports indicated that the couple would not establish a foundation of their own. It was not clear from the final agreement on 18 January, how the "Sussex Royal" brand would be affected, or whether it could be used by the couple in the manner anticipated. ''The Guardian'' reported Palace sources saying, "The prospect of the Sussexes cutting commercial deals, while still at times representing the monarch, was too great a risk to the reputation of the House of Windsor and the monarchy". ''The Guardian'' noted that a previous attempt by
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...
, to gain financial independence from the British royal family had failed. On 21 February 2020, it was confirmed that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for the couple. Harry and Meghan were expected to establish a
non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
later in 2020. Meanwhile, Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed MWX Foundation on 5 August 2020 and dissolved the same day.
Companies House Companies House is the executive agency of the company registrars of the United Kingdom, falling under the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. All forms of companies (as permitted by the Companies Act) are i ...
filings showed that Sussex Royal had more than £280,624 ($380,000) in 2020 and spent £41,084 ($55,600) on attorneys. In March 2021, it was reported that the
Charity Commission for England and Wales , type = Non-ministerial government department , seal = , seal_caption = , logo = Charity Commission for England and Wales logo.svg , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , d ...
was conducting a review of the organisation in a "regulatory and compliance case" regarding its conduct under charity law during dissolution. Representatives for the couple claimed that Sussex Royal was "managed by a board of trustees" and that "suggestion of mismanagement" directed exclusively at the Duke and Duchess was incorrect. Representatives for the couple stated that around $350,000 was transferred from Sussex Royal to Travalyst, which is a non-profit organisation established by Harry "for which ereceives no commercial or financial gain".


''Finding Freedom'' and controversy

In May 2020, two months after the couple's exit,
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
announced the publication of '' Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family'', a biography of the Duke and Duchess authored by royal reporters
Omid Scobie Omid William Scobie (born July 1981) is a British journalist and writer best known for co-authoring the book ''Finding Freedom''. Scobie's work focuses on the British royal family. Early life and education Scobie was born in Wales in July 1981 ...
and Carolyn Durand. The book was reported to detail the events leading up to Megxit and reveal "unknown details about the couple's life together" with "participation of those closest to the couple". Media outlets reported that the Sussexes gave an interview to the book's authors before their royal departure, which representatives for the couple denied. Extracts of the book were serialised in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' and ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' in the weeks prior to its release. ''Finding Freedom'' was released on 11 August 2020. The book subsequently topped bestseller lists in the United Kingdom and the United States. ''Finding Freedom'' received mixed reviews from critics. The ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote that while the book made "it easier to understand why the couple felt the need to exit the Firm" by laying out the media policy and competitive bureaucracy of the British royal family, "too much space" was dedicated in an effort to provide details for "record-correcting context". The book was noted for specifying intimate details such as "the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's text messages", a description of the Queen's private sitting room at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
, and providing conflicting details of the private relationship between the couple and
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
and
Duchess of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...
. ''Finding Freedom'' was also criticized for its timing of release, with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' stating that "It is not Harry and Meghan's fault that their book has come out in the middle of a global pandemic, but it does underscore their occasional tone deafness in the latter half of the book." The book was also criticised for revelation of intimate details about a couple who apparently left Britain to protect their privacy. These details include Prince William's word-for-word advice to Harry on marrying Meghan, Meghan's perfect yoga poses and bath tub FaceTime calls, among other things. As in July 2020, ''The Spectator'' wrote: "Despite revealing details that presumably only people who were in the room when it happened could ever conceivably know, we are expected to believe that Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie wrote ''Finding Freedom'' without input from the Sussexes". After the book's release, a spokesperson reiterated that the couple "were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘''Finding Freedom." In November 2020, Meghan's legal team admitted that she had permitted a close friend to communicate with Scobie and Durand, "so the true position... could be communicated to the authors to prevent any further misrepresentation", confirming the Duchess's participation in the book.


See also

*
List of portmanteaus This is a selection of portmanteau words. Animals Hybrids * cama, from camel and llama * cattalo, from cattle and buffalo * donkra, from donkey and zebra (progeny of donkey stallion and zebra mare) cf. zedonk below * geep, from goat and sheep ...


References


External links


Statement by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
''sussexroyal.com'' (8 January 2020)
Megxit
entry at
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What does Megxit mean?
entry at
Dictionary.com Dictionary.com is an online dictionary whose domain was first registered on May 14, 1995. The primary content on Dictionary.com is a proprietary dictionary based on ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'', with editors for the site providing new a ...

Megxit
entry in the
Collins English Dictionary The ''Collins English Dictionary'' is a printed and online dictionary of English. It is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow. The edition of the dictionary in 1979 with Patrick Hanks as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, was ...
{{Authority control 2020 in Canada 2020 in England 2020 in the United Kingdom British royal family Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Portmanteaus Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Events involving British royalty