Prince Harry saw Meghan Markle as a way out of Firm, a royal author has claimed.
According to Andrew Morton – who famously penned Diana: Her True Story in 1992 – has spoken out about how Harry began discussing plans to step down from the Firm six months after marrying Meghan in 2018.
The couple, who now live in California with their children – then made the decision to step down from duties in January 2020. Their final engagement took place in March 2020 – just days before the Covid lockdown.
Speaking on The Mirror’s podcast Pod Save the King, Andrew said: “It didn’t work out because when it actually comes down to it, Prince Harry is cursed with charisma but hates being a prince and I think that he saw Meghan as a way out.
“They didn’t have to leave the Royal Family in the way that they did, but they did.”
According to Andrew, the couple also, at one point, planned to move to another part of the world – New Zealand.
He revealed that the couple had even contemplated living in New Zealand and had discussed this with the Prime Minister.
Andrew stated: “They were thinking about living in New Zealand and they even spoke to the Prime Minister of New Zealand about this – so they had all kinds of plots and thoughts for their future.”
Speaking of their decision to step down, Andrew claims that, if they hadn’t chosen to leave the way that they did, the late Queen would have sympathetic over their desire to step down.
Speaking of the late Queen, he added that she would have been sympathetic – especially as they, at the time, had just welcomed their first child.
He added: “The Queen had always been very understanding of anybody who wants to step back for a few years and just enjoy family life because you’re a long time being a royal.”
As well as five-year-old Archie, the pair welcomed their three-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet, in 2021.
