Meghan Markle and Prince Harry released the second part of their Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan. Meghan spoke about how challenging her life within the royal family became. She revealed one heartbreaking moment she had after her final royal engagement during which she “collapsed” in a security guard’s arms and began crying.
Meghan and Harry planned their royal family exit years in advance
Meghan and Harry say their decision to leave the United Kingdom and start a new life in another country was years in the making. Despite stories that their departure took Queen Elizabeth II by surprise, they say their decision was planned in advance and everyone in their immediate circle knew about it.
Some of the places Harry and Meghan considered moving were Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand. However, they say their plans were leaked to the press and they had to look for alternatives. They eventually decided on California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex say their intention was to do work on behalf of the Queen while living in another country. They wanted to continue to serve.
“If you want us to go and do things on behalf of the queen, we’ll go and do it,” says Harry during the docuseries. “And we’ll pay for it ourselves. We don’t want to be dependent on any taxpayer funding. Guess what? You get us, but you get us for free. And this was years in the making.
Harry says there was this idea that the public had a right to know every detail of the royal family’s life simply because they received public funds. “We really wanted to remove the supposed public interest argument that the press had over every element of our lives,” says Harry. “Their argument was if you have even 1% of public funding, any part of your life, then we can basically claim public interest. We can invade your privacy on everything because you have public funds supporting you.”
Meghan Markle ‘collapsed’ in a security guards’ arms
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Meghan admits she was overwhelmed and exhausted after their final royal tour. She was also deeply saddened that her best efforts at being part of the royal family weren’t enough. She says when she landed in Canada, she became very emotional. Meghan describes “collapsing” into the arms of a security guard and sobbing.
“Of course, it was emotional,” says Meghan. “We get on the plane, and it’s not the pilot, but whoever is overseeing the crew. And he came, and he knelt next to my seat, and he took his hat off. And I just remember looking at him and he goes, ‘We appreciate everything you did for our country.’ And it was the first time that I felt like someone saw the sacrifice. Not for my own country. For this country. It’s not mine.”
Meghan revealed she couldn’t hold back her tears once she reached Canada. “We landed in Canada, and one of our security guards who has been with [Harry] for so long, and these guys were so wonderful, I just collapsed in his arms crying. I was like. ‘I tried so hard.’ He goes, ‘I know you did; I know you did mam.’
“I tried so hard, and that’s the piece that’s so triggering,” Meghan continues. “Because you go, ‘And it still wasn’t good enough.’ And you still don’t fit in.”
Historian David Olusoga was critical of the palace’s response to Meghan. He described the situation as a “disaster.”
“Part of what makes the inability of the palace to defend Meghan an even bigger disaster is at the center of the argument for the monarchy in this country is the commonwealth,” says Olusoga. “The commonwealth is 2.5 billion mainly Black and brown people. Here was a woman who just looked like most of the people in the commonwealth, and they somehow for some reason couldn’t find the capacity to protect her, to represent her, to stand by her, to take on vested power in her name, to fight for her.”
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