Meghan and Prince Harry had been staying in Canada for the final weeks of 2019, and had flown to the UK on January 6 with hopes of telling Harry’s family about their plans in person.
When the Queen’s staff stalled the discussions, Meghan flew back to Canada without her husband. As she waited for news of Harry’s meeting with senior royals, the Duchess focused on moving forward with her plans.
Days after her return from the UK, in a move that surprised many, the royal was photographed visiting a women’s centre in Vancouver.
On January 15, Meghan visited the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, with the organisation sharing a photo of the Duchess with a group of its employees.
“Look who we had tea with today!” the caption read. “The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.”
The Centre’s mission, per their Facebook page, was to “provide basic needs and positive change for women and children in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.”
Back in the UK, Harry was waiting to meet with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William to discuss the arrangements for the Sussexes’ royal exit. However, he was given the run-around, according to Battle of the Brothers author Robert Lacey.
It was clear Harry and Meghan weren’t happy working from in the confines of the monarchy; not that they had let it stop them trying to control how they lived their lives.
They had already put noses out of joint by making several major decisions without consulting senior royals.
These included filing lawsuits against media organisations for a variety of breaches; keeping the 2019 birth of their son Archie a secret from the media until hours after the fact; and attempting to commercialise their Sussex Royal brand.
Lacey claims the couple thought they would be able to set the terms of their split, working part time for the royals while moving across the pond.
They flew to the UK in January 2020 to do just that, having missed the Queen’s Christmas celebration at Sandringham for a second year in a row, choosing to hunker down in Canada and plot out their future.
The couple landed in the UK on January 6, but were told the Queen couldn’t meet with them until January 29. Lacey says they briefly considered turning up to Sandringham unannounced, but decided against this.
However, the duke and duchess didn’t let the meeting delay stop them from proceeding with their plan. On January 8, they published a statement on the Sussex Royal website announcing their decision to step down as full-time senior working royals.
The Queen’s staff contacted Prince Harry to move his meeting with the monarch forward.
During this time, Meghan was back on Vancouver Island with Archie. While Harry reportedly kept her informed of any and all developments, the Duchess moved forward with her plans to forge her own path as a royal.
Meghan’s visit to the women’s refuge following the ‘Megxit’ news was in keeping with her work as a feminist and advocate for women’s rights. Since finding fame as an actress on hit TV show Suits, the Duchess has been devoted to charity work — much of it in Canada where the series was filmed.
At one stage she was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women with the United Nations.
She had also lent a hand at St Felix Centre in Toronto, a non-profit organisation that provides services for marginalised people through food and other services.