The royals exist within an inclusive and archaic institution, that adheres to rules and traditions of a past time. The duchess already had her own career and ambitions well before meeting Prince Harry which she hoped would translate into royal life.
Unfortunately, that did not happen. Though Meghan is reportedly well-liked by the royals, her modern take on royal life seemed to greatly offend the British public and press. As a result, the press began picking the duchess apart.
After enduring this for years, the Sussexes have decided that royal life is not sustainable for them. In January 2020, they announced their intent to resign as senior working members.
Now, they are outside of the royal fold, living in Los Angeles, California eager to begin a new phase in their lives life. Still. despite all of the terrible things that have been said about her over the years, Meghan is reportedly super down to earth.
With a career as an actress and activist long before she even met Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex had been living her best life well before she became royalty. Marrying Prince Harry at age 36 meant that she lived an entire life prior to him.
Though she gave up a great deal when they wed, moving to the U.K., stuttering her lifestyle brand, The Tig, giving up her role on USA’s Suits, and much of her privacy, she was unwilling to become a shell of her former self.
Unfortunately, many royal experts interpreted this as the duchess rebelling in her role. She was even called “too independent.”
“Even though [Meghan] was a famous actress, she could still do what she wanted in the way of getting around freely,” an insider told Daily Mail in 2019. “But in her current role she can’t go anywhere without her protection team, and that’s a massive constraining force on an individual like her.”
While Cathrine, Duchess of Cambridge, dated Prince William since she was a college student, the Duchess of Sussex was given a crash course on royal life. It was increasingly challenging for her give over the reigns of life.
“As an actress, Meghan expects perfection,” Duncan Larcombe, who covered the royal family for London’s The Sun explained. “But when you’re in the royal family, you have to learn that it’s not about you, it’s about what you represent.”
In the end, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided it was not worth it to remain within the royal fold if they had no control over their destinies. “It’s not enough just to survive something, right? That’s not the point of life,” Meghan explained in the revealing documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey. The duchess revealed that she attempted to adopt the British “stiff upper lip” but “what that does internally is probably really damaging.”