It is exactly six years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped the bombshell that they were quitting their royal roles – and things look very different now
10:03, 08 Jan 2026Updated 10:03, 08 Jan 2026
It was the bombshell statement that rocked the Royal Family and sent shockwaves around the world. Exactly six years ago today, Prince Harry and Meghan sensationally announced that they were quitting as working royals in order to “carve out a progressive new role” in the institution and become financially independent.
The move reportedly left the royals, including the late Queen, ‘blindsided’, forcing the monarch to issue an unprecedented statement confirming the pair would no longer carry out official duties. But nobody could have foresaw what would happen next, with the Sussexes moving to California, giving a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey where they railed against the Royal Family before levelling more criticism against their treatment in a controversial Netflix documentary.
READ MORE: King Charles ‘strategic reason’ for staying clear of Prince Harry on his UK returnREAD MORE: Princess Kate could be deployed for landmark overseas trip with William with key role
Harry and Meghan quit as working royals exactly six years ago(Image: Getty Images)
Fast-forward to today, Harry is all but estranged from both his father, King Charles and brother Prince William as he continues his charity work, while Meghan focuses on her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
And given the sorry state of affairs when it comes to his family bonds, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes the Sussexes may feel a tinge of regret of how their exit from the royal fold played out.
She told the Mirror : “If you think back to when they left, it was all incredibly melodramatic. In a breathless video filmed on board the plane leaving the UK, Harry gave the impression they were almost fleeing for their lives.
“There had clearly been many hot-headed moments and, with the benefit of hindsight, they may well feel they could have done things differently. I’m sure Harry would never have wanted to hurt his grandmother, but he put her in the most invidious position, and she took a firm stand.
The Sussexes have a strained relationship with their royal relatives(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“We now know that he feels that life is precious and short, and, in an ideal world, he would very much like a reconciliation with his father and his brother.
“He says he doesn’t want to fight any longer. But, when there has been so much anger and hurt, the path to a reunion was never going to be easy.”
The anniversary of ‘Megxit’ also coincides with another milestone that is fast-approaching for Harry. Saturday marks exactly three years since the publication of his explosive memoir, Spare.
From details about a physical altercation between Harry and Prince William at Kensington Palace to a tense showdown at Prince Philip’s funeral, and tension between the brothers and their wives, Kate and Meghan, Harry took aim at the entire family, seemingly not holding anything back.
Prince Harry at the High Court last year(Image: PA)
It is believed that Harry has not spoken to his brother William since before the publication of the book – with no signs of their feud thawing.
In recent months, Harry has indicated he would like a reconciliation with his family – and last year had a face-to-face meeting with his father, the first for 19 months, while on a trip to the UK.
But with another visit to the UK on the cards in a few weeks, it has been reported that another meet-up with his father in unlikely. And Jennie added: “Everything was obviously made so much worse by all the revelations, accusations and betrayals of confidence in Harry‘s book. He has squandered his family’s trust in him, and that is a notoriously hard thing to regain.
“He seems ready now to forgive and forget, but life just isn’t that easy. It’s all very well for him to feel he has aired all his grievances, so now he feels better and it’s time to move on. That’s not how it always works.
“He and Meghan are, however, pretty settled in California it would seem. They wanted freedom, independence and the ability to earn their living. They got all of that plus two lovely kids, a huge house, a celebrity lifestyle and a warm climate. What’s not to like?”
Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal
WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.