Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and former royal butler Grant Harrold has identified the moment he believes things started to go wrong

The Prince and Princess of Wales Accompanied By The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Greet Wellwishers Out
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with the royal family has crumbled (Image: Getty Images)
When Meghan Markle initially became part of the Royal Family, Prince William considered her “quite refreshing,” according to an expert.

The Prince of Wales was reportedly “genuinely happy” that Prince Harry had discovered someone who brought him joy. In his new book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, royal correspondent Russell Myers revealed William “only wanted the best” for his brother.

Nevertheless, relations rapidly deteriorated, and by 2020, Harry and Meghan had departed the Royal Family. There’s been considerable speculation surrounding what triggered the rift, with former royal butler Grant Harrold now offering his perspective.

Harrold said, “We saw William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan do so many things together initially, but the turning point was a few months before the announcement that they were stepping away from royal duties.

“They were doing events in the summer prior to that, so something must have happened in between.”

Upon Harry and Meghan’s departure from the Royal Family, they issued a statement declaring, “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.”

It stated, “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, whilst continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”

The announcement is understood to have caught the royal family off guard, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly failing to consult Queen Elizabeth or the then-Prince Charles beforehand.

The Prince and Princess of Wales Accompanied By The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Greet Wellwishers Outside Windsor Castle
They used to be close with Prince William and Kate Middleton (Image: Getty)

Harry is believed to now have misgivings about the manner in which he revealed his withdrawal from royal duties.

A source previously informed The Telegraph, “I don’t think he fully appreciated the impact the statement would have in terms of them not consulting the Queen. He regrets that.”

Harry and Meghan’s explosive announcement prompted the Queen to release her own response, confirming the pair were no longer “full-time working members of the royal family.”

In her statement, she expressed she would have “preferred” the Sussexes to remain, though acknowledged she understood their choice and backed their “wish to live a more independent life as a family whilst remaining a valued part of my family.”

The Queen continued, “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” before finishing, “These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”