LIVING a life away from the public gaze and free from the chains of Royal duties is something Prince Harry has dreamed about since he was a little boy.
But this thinly veiled lifetime of resistance has done nothing to dampen the immense shock at his and Meghan‘s decision to step back from work as a senior member of the firm.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to step back from their roles as ‘senior royals’
The Royals reluctance at his position has always been there. Several times in the past he has referred to his elevated status as my accident of birth.
Time and time again he has opened up about the baggage that comes with being born into such incredible wealth and privilege.
However, the fact remains that this radical departure from Royal protocol may well prove to be a point from which there is no return.
Harry is, after his grandmother the Queen, the most popular member of the Royal family.
The Sussex’s have said they’ll still “fully support” the Queen
He is loved throughout the generations, by male and females alike and since the tragic day he was forced to walk behind his mothers coffin, Harry has deservedly worn the tag of The Peoples Prince.
But moving to Canada, stepping out of the goldfish bowl he hates so much, and pledging to become financially independent is as unpredictable a step as it is a shock.
This decision may well appeal in the short to medium term. It could even solve some of the teething problems Harry and Meghan have had to endure since they married in front of two billion people.
But the reality is that by walking away from Royal duties and turning their backs on the adoring British public Harry and Meghan are likely to face a major backlash in the long term.
What will the public make of his decision?
The Queen is relying on her grandsons William and Harry to continue to take on the burden of Royal engagements as she edges towards the final years of her reign.
Her successor-in-waiting Prince Charles is also aware of the vital role his sons will have to play in connecting his reign with the younger generation. Prince Harry will be pivotal to this transition when the day finally arrives.
The couple will now be splitting their time between the UK and North America
And whatever the truths of the rift with his brother, Prince William is depending on Harry to play his part in supporting the Royal family into the next generation.
It would be almost impossible for Harry and Meghan to operate as Royals while in self-imposed exile abroad. The vast majority of official engagements take place in the United Kingdom and so their absence would dilute the work of the entire family.
Harry risks sacrificing his position, as well as his popularity, as one of the most popular members of the Royal family the very second he checks-in his bags for the one-way flight across the Atlantic.
The Sussex’s made the announcement after taking a six-week break in Canada
When his Great Uncle King Edward VIII abdicated and moved abroad with his American wife, the Duke of Windsor went from hero to zero and never recovered. In fact, up until the day she died, the Queen Mother refused to forgive Edward for the betrayal that rocked the Royal family to its roots.
In making his childhood dream of freedom a reality, he has dealt a hammer blow to the rest of the family.
Harry and his wife have struggled to adjust to married life within the Royal family. But by stepping back like this, it may well look as though the jewel in the Royal familys crown is deserting the House of Windsor at a time when they may well need him the most.
Meanwhile here’s the latest on the Sussex’s shock announcement to step down from their roles as ‘senior royals’.
Plus royal fans think the Queen dropped ‘clues’ about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s plans in her Christmas Day speech.
We shared how abody language expert said ‘anxious’ Prince Harry acted like Meghan Markles bodyguard yesterday.
