Prince Harry And Meghan Markle would have faced intense pressure from Queen Elizabeth II before retiring from royal duties, leaving little room for compromise.
A new book reveals Harry was forced to choose to step away from the royal family altogether after his hopes of a “half-in, half-out” arrangement were dashed.
Meanwhile, tensions with Montecito’s neighbors have grown over the years, with some residents questioning Prince Harry and Meghan’s involvement in the community.
Prince Harry faced a five-word ultimatum from Queen Elizabeth before leaving the royal family: ‘Either all in or all out’
Harry reportedly struggled with the decision to step back from royal duties, feeling under pressure from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who left him little room for negotiation.
According to royal historian Hugo Vickers in his new book “Queen Elizabeth II,” Harry had hoped for a “half-in, half-out” arrangement that would allow him to remain partially involved in the royal family while still supporting himself financially.
When he returned to the UK in early 2020 to discuss options, Harry was faced with a firm ultimatum: either full participation or complete withdrawal.
Without an intermediate solution, he chose to step back and return to Canada. Three months later, he and Meghan officially announced their departure as working royals, eventually moving full-time to California and leaving behind Frogmore Cottage, a residence gifted by the Queen.
“He wanted a half-in, half-out arrangement, in which he would be self-financing but could still work for the royal family,” Vickers said in his book, according to Page six. “In the new year 2020, the three private secretaries, Sir Edward Young, Sir Clive Alderton and Simon Case, went into summit mode on the Sandringham estate and drafted their proposal.”
“Prince Harry went to Sandringham for the meeting and was told it was either all or nothing. He came back to Canada – reluctantly,” Vickers added.
Last trip of the Sussexes to London before the death of the Queen
Harry and Meghan took a trip to London in June 2022 to bring their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to see their great-grandmother, fulfilling her wish that all the great-grandchildren spend meaningful time with her at Balmoral.
According to author Robert Hardman, the Queen was “delighted” to see the young Sussexes during their visit for her platinum jubilee.
“The queen was finally going to meet Lilibet and was delighted, her friends say, as the one-year-old crawled around her feet,” Hardman says in his book “Elizabeth II,” according to People Magazine.
The Duke also wrote about the special moment in his memoir, “Spare,” recalling how happy the Queen was to see his and Meghan’s children.
“I also couldn’t help but imagine [the children] with Grandma. The final visit. Archie giving deep, chivalrous bows, his little sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch’s shins,” Harry recalled. “Very nice children, said Grandma, looking perplexed. She expected them to be a little more… American, I think? Which means, in his mind, more turbulent.
Despite the visit, the Sussexes remain largely estranged from some family members, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, with their final public appearance in Windsor marking the Queen’s funeral in September 2022.
Author calls stress on Queen Elizabeth II ‘unforgivable’ after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview
In an interview with Fox News DigitalVickers described the stress Harry and Meghan placed on the Queen in her final years as “unforgivable.”
After moving to California, the couple gave a widely viewed interview to Oprah Winfrey, in which they aired their grievances with the royal family, seen by nearly 50 million people around the world.
According to Vickers, following the interview, the Queen refused to answer Harry’s calls without another person present, often asking her lady-in-waiting to stay nearby. “I think the Queen obviously felt rather cautious whenever she came into contact,” Vickers said.
In her book, Vickers also noted that the queen once remarked that Harry, previously a “very useful” working royal, had become “a sort of nanny,” reflecting her focus on raising her children at the family’s Montecito estate.
“You can’t be captain general of the Royal Marines… and lie barefoot under a tree in California,” he added.
The Sussexes reportedly tread carefully in Hollywood to avoid royal fallout
Despite their previous criticism of the royal family, Harry and Meghan have reportedly been careful to avoid conflict while pursuing their Hollywood projects.
“Meghan and Harry are careful in everything they do and say in order to uphold the standards of the monarchy,” a source said. American weekly.
“They are doing their best not to upset the royal family. Anyone who goes into business with them knows there are limits, but it hurts the creativity of the project,” the source continued. “They’re adamant about having creative control and final editing, and what they can’t say limits things.”
However, public relations expert David E. Johnson noted that the couple’s repeated criticism of the royal family has left the public uncertain about their loyalties, suggesting that they must now distance themselves from that association.
Montecito neighbors reportedly wary of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In the meantime, Page six reported that Harry and Meghan’s neighbors in Montecito, California, are wary of the couple.
According to certain sources, tensions with neighbors have been increasing for several years. “It’s not hatred. It’s just a growing awareness that they are takers with no self-awareness. Everyone is exhausted by them,” a source said.
Yet a source close to the Sussexes insisted the couple had “great relationships with their neighbors and loved their community”.
In December 2024, neighbor Richard Mineards criticized Meghan in the German documentary “Harry: The Lost Prince”, saying she was not “an asset” to the region. “Personally, I don’t think Meghan is an asset to our community… She doesn’t really go out and get involved in the community,” he said.
“Harry does, to a certain extent, because he’s quite cheerful… but Meghan doesn’t seem to be seen anywhere… And you don’t see him either.”
