Long before announcing they would step back as working royals in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had already started quietly doing things their own way. Royal author Robert Jobson says the first hint came with the birth of their son, Prince Archie.
In his new book The Windsor Legacy, Jobson describes the moment as a turning point.”Their baby son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who was seventh in line to the throne, arrived on 6 May 2019.
“His birth marked a shift as Harry and Meghan broke tradition, skipping the hospital photo call,” he wrote.
Instead of following royal protocol and posing for photographers outside St Mary’s Hospital, like the Prince and Princess of Wales had done with their children, Harry and Meghan introduced their newborn privately at Windsor Castle two days later.
Now known as Prince Archie of Sussex since his grandfather King Charles’s ascension to the throne, the little boy’s low-key introduction “ruffled feathers in the palace and the press,” according to Jobson. He added the move “signalled their move away from royal norms.”
The Duke and Duchess went on to confirm what many had already suspected. In January 2020, they announced their decision to step back as senior working royals.
Reports suggested they had hoped for a “half-in, half-out” arrangement, which was rejected by Queen Elizabeth. Their final official engagement came two months later at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
By the time their daughter, Princess Lilibet, arrived, the Sussexes had started a new life in California. Her birth was announced on their Archewell website, and the first photo of her wasn’t released for several months – another break from royal tradition.
The author alleges the private introduction of Archie at Windsor was perhaps a clear sign of what was to come. Jobson said it represented a “move away from royal norms” and an early indication that Harry and Meghan wanted more control over their lives and privacy.
Since leaving royal life, the couple have returned to the UK for major family occasions, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and her State Funeral later that year.
When King Charles was crowned in 2023, only Prince Harry attended, returning to London for the ceremony- which took place on Archie’s fourth birthday – before flying home shortly after to rejoin Meghan and their children.
The Duke later met with his father privately at Clarence House. Speaking to the BBC earlier that year, he said he would “love a reconciliation” with his family, adding, “There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
