Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claim they ‘felt forced’ to step away from the Royal Family

Much has been said about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step away from royal life, with much of the public blame often falling on the couple themselves.

However, the pair insists that they were “forced” to step back from their royal duties because they were “not being protected by the institution”.

Harry made these claims during a two-day hearing in London that began on Tuesday, April 8. The hearing is part of his legal challenge against a 2024 ruling by the High Court, which dismissed his case against the Home Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec). At the heart of his legal battle is his argument that his security arrangements were unfairly downgraded after he and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020.

The case has sparked fresh legal proceedings at the Court of Appeal, where Harry is seeking to reverse the ruling, claiming that his diminished protection poses an ongoing risk to his safety. This legal saga centres on whether or not Harry, now a private citizen, should continue to receive state-funded police protection when he visits the UK.

Harry’s barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, presented the couple’s position in court, emphasising that their decision to step away from their royal life wasn’t one they took lightly.

In written statements, Fatima explained: “On 8 January 2020, (the duke) and his wife felt forced to step back from the role of full-time official working members of the royal family as they considered they were not being protected by the institution, but they wished to continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of the royal family.”

Since stepping away from his royal duties in 2020 with his wife Meghan, Harry has remained estranged from his family across the pond.

Adding to the tensions were revelations made in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, where Harry and Meghan candidly discussed their struggles within the royal institution. This was followed by the release of Harry’s candid memoir and a series of interviews in which he continued to criticise The Firm.

The decision marked a major shift in the traditional dynamics of the Monarchy.

-with BANG.