Meghan Markle, Prince Harry deny ‘Megxit’ was about wanting ‘privacy’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry denied that they relinquished their titles as senior members of the royal family — in what has been dubbed “Megxit” — to garner more privacy.
“Their statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties,” the couple told the New York Times on Thursday via their press secretary Ashley Hansen.
“Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series,” the spokeswoman added.
“They are choosing to share their story, on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion. The facts are right in front of them.”
The clarification comes amid backlash over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Megan,” in which they give a more intimate look inside their private lives.
“Megan & Prince Harry are a Royal joke!” one critic tweeted. “First they run away from their duties because they want a private life then they can’t stop dishing details on podcast, book, Oprah, Netflix show.”
Another added, “Harry and Megan: please respect our privacy. Also Harry and Megan: please pay us for interviews so that we can complain about not getting the privacy we asked for.”
However, as Hansen mentioned, Harry and Meghan’s original statement made no mention of wanting more privacy.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the January 2020 announcement said in part.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
They added, “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
The public’s misconception, though, may come from the pair’s frequent criticism of the media coverage they had received.
In July 2020, a few months after “Megxit,” Harry and Meghan filed an invasion of privacy lawsuit that read, “At the beginning of this year, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (the ‘Plaintiffs’), announced their intention to reside, at least part-time, in North America, in an attempt to escape the incessant UK tabloid fabrications.”
Harry also later shared in May 2021 that he had “no regrets” about quitting his role in the royal family because “of their headlines and that combined effort of The Firm and the media to smear” his wife.