Meghan Markle, Prince Harry leaving the Royal Family: A full timeline

(NewsNation) — It has been more than five years since Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced they would be stepping down from their royal duties. But what caused that decision, and what has the couple been up to since?
Here is the full timeline of their departure and what happened following it:
January 8, 2020: Markle and Harry use Instagram to announce that they will be stepping down from their roles as senior royals. The post says:
'After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuining our honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.'
They also revealed a new website that shows how they plan to distance themselves from the Royal Family. That included:
Engaging with grassroots media organizations and young, up-and-coming journalists
Inviting specialist media to certain events to give greater access to their cause-driven activities
Providing access to credible outlets that are focused on objective news reporting
Continuing to share information with the public through their official communications channels
No longer being in the Royal Rota system
There were reports that the Royal Family didn't know about the couple's decision beforehand. BBC News correspondent Jonny Dymond tweeted, 'BBC understands that no other member of the Royal Family was consulted before Harry and Meghan issued their personal statement tonight. The Palace is understood to be 'disappointed.''
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Then, Buckingham Palace released a statement, saying, 'Discussion with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand the desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.'
January 9, 2020: A source tells US Weekly that Prince William was 'blindsided' by Harry and Markle's decision. 'William is incredibly hurt, but at the same time, he has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life,' the source said.
Many other sources told the Daily Mail that the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family were 'deeply disappointed' by the news. One source said, 'The level of deceit has been staggering and everyone from the top of the royal household to the bottom feels like they have been stabbed in the back.'
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It is then reported that Harry tried meeting with Queen Elizabeth about the couple's plans, but was denied by her staff. According to the Evening Standard, Harry 'originally contacted Prince Charles about spending more time in Canada and America just before Christmas,' even asking for a 'summit with the Queen at Sandringham.'
It is said that Queen Elizabeth agreed to the meeting, but it was blocked by her staff.
January 11, 2020: A source tells US Weekly that Markle and Harry had to make their announcement when they did because The Sun had allegedly found out it was coming and was going to leak it. The source claimed, 'It was the paper's front page hours before the official announcement, so Harry and Meghan technically didn't beat them to it.'
January 12, 2020: According to The Sunday Times, Harry told a friend, 'I've put my arm around my brother all our lives, and I can't do that anymore; we're separate entities. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we're all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team.'
January 13, 2020: Harry and William issue a joint statement through their spokespeople. That statement reads:
'Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.'
Later, Harry revealed that he had no idea that statement was being made. He said, 'I couldn't believe it. No one had asked me. No one had asked my permission to put my name to a statement like that… within four hours, they were happy to lie to protect my brother, and yet, for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to us.'
After that joint statement, Queen Elizabeth released her first official statement, saying, in part, 'My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life…'
The statement ended with, 'These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.'
January 18, 2020: The Queen releases a statement saying that she had come to an agreement with the couple and 'Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much-loved members of the family.' She also addressed the scrutiny that the couple had received and thanked them 'for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond…'
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The agreement reportedly involved Harry and Markle giving up their royal titles, no longer receiving public funds and paying back the country for their Frogmore Cottage renovations. They also couldn't represent the Queen and had to start paying rent on their cottage.
That agreement was only set to last a year, according to a People.com source, and then it would be revisited.
February 22, 2020: The Queen decides in an order that Markle and Harry can no longer use the word 'royal' in their branding, which meant their website and Instagram names would have to be changed. In response, Markel and Harry said:
'While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the U.K. or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.'
'The trademark applications that had been filed as protective measures and that reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been removed.'
March 3, 2020: Harry and Queen Elizabeth meet for a 4-hour conversation where the Queen reportedly offers the couple the chance to come back if they ever change their minds.
March 9, 2020: Markle and Harry attend Commonwealth Day, which will be their last royal event before they step down from their royal duties.
March 27, 2020: Markle and Harry moved to Los Angeles after briefly living in Canada. Harry later spoke with Oprah about their time in Canada, saying, 'When we were in Canada, I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls… I went to all the places which I thought I should go to ask for help. We both did. Separately and together.'
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March 30, 2020: One day before they officially step down from their royal duties, the couple posts on their @SussexRoyal Instagram account to announce it will no longer be in use.
'While you may not see us here, the work continues… Until then, please take good care of yourselves and one another,' their final post said.
July 2020: A few months after officially leaving their royal duties, Markle and Harry moved into a nine-bedroom mansion that was reportedly purchased for $14 million.
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One source told People.com, 'They were craving a smaller community and a slower pace — Montecito is very mellow, a charming little town, and the Santa Barbara [area] offers an ideal lifestyle that they're looking forward to.'
The couple also announced partnerships with Spotify and Netflix.
March 7, 2021: Nearly one year after the couple stepped down from the Royal Family, they sit down with Oprah Winfrey to talk about their time as working royals and what they have experienced since then.
During that interview, Meghan revealed that, within the Royal Family, there were 'concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he's born.' She also spoke about 'being silenced' by the family, saying she was told to give a 'no comment' on questions that were directed toward her once her relationship with Harry became public.
Markle told Winfrey, 'That was really hard to reconcile because it was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family. They weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.'
June 2 through June 5, 2022: The Queen was celebrated for her 70-year reign with parades, a concert and more. Markle and Harry traveled from their home in California to the United Kingdom for her Jubilee, but they weren't seen in public spending time with immediate family members.
On June 3, Harry and Markle attended the service of thanksgiving that honored Queen Elizabeth, and sat in the second row with Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and their husbands.
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September 10, 2022: After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Markle and Harry joined Prince William and Kate Middleton to greet mourners at Windsor Castle. According to one of PEOPLE's royal sources, William believed that this was 'an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.'
Once King Charles became the monarch, Archie and Lilibet, the couple's children, were entitled to royal titles, but no changes were announced.
December 8, 2022: The 'Harry & Meghan' docuseries is released, with the first three episodes focusing on their early relationship and royal life. 'Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color. There was thought in that,' Markle said, saying she didn't want to stand out.
Harry also talked about the press, saying they eventually had to take legal action against Associated Newspapers because a private letter that Meghan wrote to her father was published. Markle said that the stress from that situation caused her to have a miscarriage.
Harry said, 'I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did. I watched the whole thing. Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created… caused by that? Of course we don't… [but] bearing in mind the stress that caused the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her.'
December 15, 2022: During the last three episodes of the docuseries, Harry claimed that William had a 'terrifying' argument with William and King Charles during the Sandringham Summit.
'It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,' Harry said.
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January 2, 2023: Prince Harry sits down with Anderson Cooper and says he won't ever return as a full-time member of the Royal Family.
Harry was later asked if he would attend King Charles' Coronation if he were invited. He said, 'There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they're willing to sit down and talk about it.'
March 1, 2023: Markle and Harry are asked to move out of Frogmore Cottage. A source told People.com that the couple wasn't trying to fight the decision because they were happy raising their children in California.
April 12, 2023: Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Harry will be at the Coronation of King Charles without Markle or his children.
The statement said, 'Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.'
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June 2023: Prince Harry and Markle officially leave Frogmore Cottage, according to Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse.
Stevens said, 'We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage. The Duke and Duchess have repaid the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.'
February 2024: Following King Charles' cancer diagnosis, The Associated Press revealed that he had a brief reunion with Prince Harry. Harry was in London less than a day after Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis.
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March 2024: Kate Middleton announces that she is also struggling with a cancer diagnosis, and according to NewsNation's Paula Froelich, Harry and Markle were denied a visit with her. The source said there was 'no way Kate or William would allow them a private audience.'
January 2025: Harry is given $12.3 million for his case against The Sun, which admitted to hacking him and apologized to him.
His lawyer said, 'In a monumental victory today, News UK admitted that the Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices.'
April 2025: Froelich is told exclusively that the rift between Harry and King Charles is widening as Charles allegedly refused to see Harry while he was in the U.K.
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'There was a window where King Charles and Harry could have met, but they didn't,' the insider revealed. They also said that it was King Charles who chose not to meet.
'(King Charles) is very upset over Harry's insistence on fighting the government for police protection. He feels Harry knew what he signed up for when he and Meghan left the monarchy, but Harry being Harry just can't accept it.'
Harry lost his appeal to restore the U.K. government-funded security detail at the beginning of May.
June 2025: The couple is still living in Montecito, with Markle recently rejoining Instagram and sharing a video (that has now gone viral) of her and Harry dancing in the delivery room as they awaited the arrival of Princess Lilibet.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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