It’s fair to say that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell news that they were stepping down as senior royals shocked and saddened the nation earlier this month – and rocked the British monarchy to its core.
Their impromptu statement sent shockwaves through the royal family, prompting the Queen to summon Prince Charles, Prince William and Harry to an emergency summit to thrash out the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – and led to Her Majesty making an unprecedented public statement, in which she said she supported their decision, but “would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the royal family”.
She added that she’d asked for these “complex matters” to be resolved within the week.
Still, as heat has told you, the pressure’s been building for months, and while Prince William in particular is understandably hurt and saddened by the news, we’re told that Kate Middleton’s taking a more pragmatic approach.
After all, it was only a matter of time before the pressure cooker’s lid blew off – and now that it has, they can pick up the pieces and focus on the future.
“William is saddened by events – he just doesn’t understand why Harry is acting this way,” a royal insider tells heat. “But Kate has a much calmer head on her. She’s trying to hold onto the bigger picture, think positively, and just hope that Harry comes back eventually.
CHECK OUT: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship timeline
Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Relationship Timeline
1 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met in London in July 2016.
2 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
They were introduced by mutual friend Markus Anderson, who is the director of Soho House.
3 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In October 2016, the Express became the first newspaper to publish news that Prince Harry had a new girlfriend.
4 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
On November 8th 2016, Kensington Palace released an unprecedented statement which referring to Markle as Harry's girlfriend for the first time.
5 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In the statement, Prince Harry condemned the 'wave of abuse and harrassment' faced by Markle, saying that he was 'worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.'
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'It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm,' the statement continued.
7 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The couple were papped together for the first time in December 2016, shopping for a Christmas tree in London at the Pines and Needles store.
8 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Later that week, they were seen on London's West End, catching a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
9 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In February, Prince Harry wore a his 'n' hers bracelet on the cover of Town & Country magazine, just weeks after Markle was pictured wearing the same one on Instagram.
10 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In March 2017, Meghan joined Prince Harry in the Caribbean for the wedding of his friend's Tom 'Skippy' Inskip and Lara Hughes-Young.
11 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
It was the first time that Markle accompanied Harry to a wedding, marking another milestone occasion for the couple.
12 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The first public event attended by the couple was the polo at Coworth Park in May 2017.
13 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Later in May, Markle attended the party portion of Pippa Middleton's wedding to James Middelton.
14 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry was seen driving her to the event after the church ceremony.
15 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The couple were photographed together the following day at the wheelchair tennis.
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The couple 'broke with royal protocol' by holding hands and appearing affectionate while at the Invictus Games.
17 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan referred to Harry as her boyfriend numerous times, saying: 'We're a couple. We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people understand is that this is our time.'
18 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In early November 2017, it was reported that Meghan Markle was leaving Suits after seven series.
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Much was made of Markle's choice of outfit: ripped jeans and a white blouse called 'The Husband'.
20 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Although Prince Harry was sat next to First Lady Melania Trump at the event, rather than his girlfriend, she was only seated a few rows behind him.
21 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The couple made their first official public appearance in September, when Markle attended the opening of Prince Harry's Invictus Games.
22 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In mid-November 2017, bookies suspending betting on an impending royal engagement, as speculation grew that an announcement was about to be made.
23 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
On November 27th 2017, Prince Charles announced the engagement of his younger son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after 15 months of dating.
24 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The couple later appeared at a photocall, with Markle wearing a white dress coat by Canadian brand Line The Label. The website has subsequently crashed.
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The engagement ring, by Cleave and Company, was reportedly designed by Prince Harry himself, using two stones that belonged to Princess Diana.
26 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
When asked by waiting photographers if the proposal was romantic, Harry joked 'of course!'
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The couple indulged in some PDA at the closing ceremony.
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Meghan wore a maroon midi dress with a pleated chiffon skirt by one of her favourite Canadian brands Aritzia.
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She teamed it with a matching burgundy biker jacket by Mackage.
30 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry reportedly spent time with Meghan's mother Doria while at the Games too.
31 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry was photographed kissing Meghan.
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In late September 2017, it was reported that Meghan had met the Queen, prompting speculation that the relationship was getting serious.
"No matter how bad the fallout of Harry and Meghan’s decision is and what may still be to come, she says they can all feel the tension and stress easing off. She hates that the brothers have grown apart, but she also knew something like this would happen, so she’s happy it’s now out in the open.”
While public discussion has focused on the practical and financial ramifications of #Megxit, the sadder truth is that Harry and Meghan’s decision reveals a rift in a once tightknit family.
William and Harry were always close and, when Kate married into the establishment in 2011, the trio were inseparable (and even lived together). Then, when Meghan joined the fold, the two couples were initially pegged as “The Fab Four” – representing the face of a modern monarchy.
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But following Harry’s admission last year that he and his brother were “on different paths”, followed by recent reports that William is upset that he and Harry are now “separate entities”, sources say that they’re feeling more at odds than ever.
And it’s their young families that will most likely feel the effect of Harry and Meghan’s decision.
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“Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis don’t know [Harry and Meghan’s son] Archie very well, and probably never will now,” we’re told.
“That’s the biggest sadness. Wills and Harry were inseparable as kids, and they always had their cousins to relate to. Wills is upset that, with Harry and Meghan planning to spend more time in North America, he won’t see Archie so much, and he’s sad that the fun-loving uncle his kids once knew will no longer be around.
"Even a few months ago, Wills still held out hope that their children would grow up together, and would see each other regularly. Now he’s not so sure.”
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