Meghan wasn't doing well. "I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair, and that’s the part that's really hard to reconcile," Meghan said. When she first met Prince Harry, her friends had told her "the British tabloids will destroy your life." She said she didn't get it at the time, but that it had been hard.

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Nobody -

She also complained about never being asked how she was as a brand new mother.

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Christmas -

Things went from bad to worse when the couple announced they wouldn't be celebrating Christmas in England, but rather in Canada.

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Revelation -

Then in early 2020, they dropped a bombshell. They would be taking a "step back" from royal duties and wanted to divide their time between North America and the UK.

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Megxit -

In February, the deeply controversial split from the British royal house started to look more like a blood feud, with the Queen announcing the couple would not be allowed to use their royal title in any commercial ventures. In March, the couple fulfilled their final royal duties.

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Moving house -

Prince Harry left the UK to be with Markle in a Canadian island hideaway in British Columbia (pictured), but after a short, chilly time there, they moved to sunny California in March, where they bought a mansion in Santa Barbara worth US$14.7 million.

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Some well-deserved privacy -

After years of attacks from the British media, the pair cut ties with UK tabloids. As you can see, it’s much harder for the paparazzi to reach them now in Montecito.

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Keeping up with charity -

Days after their resignation became final in April, the couple announced their new Archewell charity foundation. In October, they officially launched the charity, which will focus on gender equality, female empowerment, and conservation.

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Hard times fell -

Markle opened up later in the year about a miscarriage she had suffered in July, which had rocked their young family. They had just previously celebrated Archie’s first birthday in May.

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Legal battle -

In April, Markle sued Associated Newspapers, publisher of The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, for their publication of a private letter and private texts she sent to her estranged father ahead of her 2018 wedding. In October, she won her bid to have her court case delayed until September 2021.

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Starting their new careers -

In June, the Sussexes embarked on their new careers in California by signing with Harry Walker Agency, a speaking agency which also represents the Obamas, the Clintons, and Oprah Winfrey.

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‘Finding Freedom’ - Though they escaped the tabloids, the controversial royal tell-all, ‘Finding Freedom,’ by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, still caused a stir in 2020 with its intimate revelations of their life back in the UK.

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Netflix deal -

In September, the pair made their next major career move by signing a US$100 million deal with Netflix to create “content that informs but also gives hope.” With that money, they immediately paid back the few million they owed for the renovation of their former home at Frogmore Cottage.

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Spotify deal -

In December, the pair also signed a multi-year deal with Spotify to produce and host podcasts in partnership with their production company, Archewell Audio, which is also the name of their podcast. The podcast promises to bring A-list guests and different perspectives, and their first episode featured Tyler Perry, James Corden, and Elton John.

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The Oprah interview -

In an explosive interview in 2021, Harry and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey and opened up about their experiences as members of the royal family with unprecedented honesty. Markle revealed that she had been pushed to the brink of suicide and was not given adequate support.

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The Oprah interview -

Prince Harry shared that he feels he was brainwashed and was lucky to escape, particularly as his father and brother are trapped by their roles as heirs to the throne. There were also allegations of racism, as the couple claimed there were discussions about how "dark" their son Archie would be when he was born.

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The future for the royal couple -

The drama is still unfolding and it's hard to predict what will happen next. The tension between the newly liberated couple and the rest of the royal family is obvious, but it's heart-warming to see that they're still on good terms with the Queen. This was made obvious when they gave their new baby the name Lilibet, the family nickname given to Queen Elizabeth.

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Megxit: Autopsy of a royal fairy-tale

Prince Edward speaks out on the royal family rift

11/06/21 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY British royal family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's split from the royal family has been one of the biggest news events from the British royals since the days of Princess Diana. The unprecedented move shocked the world and showed that the British monarch's long-reigning tradition of silence and stoicism may not hold for much longer. The infamous Oprah interview revealed the royal couple's reasons for separating themselves from the royal institution, exposing a terribly dark side to their supposed fairy-tale.

Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, has recently spoken out on the situation in an interview with CNN. He expressed some sympathy and understanding for the young couple's struggles, claiming that all members of the royal family have suffered the intrusion of the media into their private lives. He asserted that each member deals with this issue in a different way, and that he wishes them the best of luck. Prince Edward seemed to tread a fine line by offering his support and understanding to Prince Harry and Meghan, while avoiding comment on any of the allegations made against the royal family and their role in the drama. He simply said "It's difficult for everyone but that's families for you."

So, what really happened? The only way to understand that is to go back to the beginning. From their tale of romance to resignation, to a renewed sense of purpose, click through to see the biggest royal crisis in decades, and what Harry and Meghan have been up to since then.