Prince Harry has reflected on his decision to move to America, stating that he and Meghan Markle left the UK “in fear for their sanity.”
The couple stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and started a new life in Montecito, California. Since then, they have shared insights about their challenging experiences behind palace walls.
In his debut memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex discussed their move to America and explained their reasons for leaving. He wrote about a visit to Frogmore Cottage, shedding light on the factors that led to their decision.
He said: “How beautiful it all is, I thought. And also how sad.
“Once upon a time, this was going to be my forever home. Instead it had proved to be just another brief stop.” Harry had returned to Frogmore Cottage after Prince Philip’s funeral.
He added: “When my wife and I fled this place, in fear for our sanity and physical safety, I wasn’t sure when I’d ever come back. That was January 2020. Now, fifteen months later, here I was, days after waking to thirty-two missed calls and then one short, heart-racing talk with Granny: Harry… Grandpa s gone.”
Harry has since made a number of return visits to the UK. Most recently, he visited London to take part in various engagements related to the Invictus Games.
However, Meghan decided not to join her husband. The Duchess of Sussex has made very few return trips to the UK since stepping down from the Royal Family.
Her last return trip was in 2022 for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Sussexes brought their two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – over for the special occasion.
Author Omid Scobie has previously written about Meghan’s decision not to come back to the UK. In his book Endgame, Omid said Meghan “never wants to set foot again in England.” He claimed she didn’t want to “dive back into the soap opera of the court”
