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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“His birth marked a shift as Harry and Meghan<\/a> broke tradition, skipping the hospital photo call,” he wrote.<\/p>\n Instead of following royal protocol and posing for photographers outside St Mary\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Now known as Prince Archie of Sussex since his grandfather King Charles\u2019s ascension to the throne, the little boy\u2019s low-key introduction \u201cruffled feathers in the palace and the press,\u201d according to Jobson. He added the move \u201csignalled their move away from royal norms.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n Reports suggested they had hoped for a \u201chalf-in, half-out\u201d arrangement, which was rejected by Queen Elizabeth. Their final official engagement came two months later at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.<\/p>\n By the time their daughter, Princess Lilibet, arrived, the Sussexes had started a new life in California<\/a>. Her birth was announced on their Archewell website, and the first photo of her wasn\u2019t released for several months – another break from royal tradition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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 \u201cmove away from royal norms\u201d and an early indication that Harry and Meghan wanted more control over their lives and privacy.<\/p>\n Since leaving royal life, the couple have returned to the UK for major family occasions, including Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and her State Funeral later that year.<\/p>\n