(rain pattering) (thoughtful music) - Being able to serve Queen
and country is something that we're all rightly proud of, and it never leaves us. Once served, always serving. - Being a part of this
family and the platform that comes with that is an
incredible responsibility that I take really seriously. - [Narrator] Harry
and Meghan's decision to leave royal life behind rang out like a siren
around the world. It was far and away from the
stiff upper lip announcements of the past. This was a Royal family feud that had gone completely
out of control. - Ever since he
set eyes on Meghan and fell in love with Meghan, he feared the day when
he might lose her. And he believes that the
media may play a part in his losing her. - I think I can very safely say, as naive as it sounds now, having gone through this, I did not have any understanding of just what it would be like. - [Narrator] Now
for the first time, we're taking a look
behind the headlines at a version of events few
of us got the chance to hear. This is the other side
of the Sussex story from alleged sources
close to the couple and recently disclosed accounts. - The only sensible
way of proceeding was to have arranged
this beforehand with other members
of the Royal family, with the Royal household. They've chosen to do the
opposite and go rogue. The result therefore could
have very serious consequences. - There has been a
fundamental disconnect on the part of Meghan and
Harry in the difference between being a celebrity
and being a royal. As a celebrity, you don't owe the
public anything. As a royal, the
expectation is that you do. - [Narrator] Was
there ever a chance this mold-breaking
couple would just fit in, or was freedom the
goal from the start? This is Harry and Meghan,
The Price of Freedom. (hopeful music) (thoughtful music) On January 13th, 2020
royal-watchers were on the edge of their seats as Harry
and Meghan entered what was infamously
called a crisis meeting with Her Majesty, the
Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince William. This was the deal
or no deal moment. The future of the Royal family
was hanging on the outcome of this critical talk. - This has opened
up a Pandora's box and there are so many
wider issues at stake; the future of the monarchy, the streamline monarchy that you keep hearing
people talking about. What does that
actually look like if Meghan and
Harry do step down? - They feel they've been
hounded by the media, et cetera. In reality, there's
been nothing like that. The Royal Rota system, I think
it's given them an awful lot of works free. And it's been going
since the 1950s. And one must remember that this
is an unelected institution that relies upon media,
publicity, the public support, for it's life's blood. - This new relationship
they want is very much what say a celebrity
like Beyonce has, whereby they are in control. They release the images,
they choose who comes and talks to them. I mean, that's a relationship
that works in Hollywood. That's a relationship that
works with celebrities. It's a great open question
whether it's a relationship that can work with a
senior active member of the British Royal family. - [Narrator] After
several tense hours, Buckingham Palace announced
with a heavy heart that arrangements
had been reached for Harry and Meghan to
leave Royal duties behind and pursue an
independent future. Public reaction was
divided to say the least. While some wished
the couple nothing but happiness and success, others felt resentment in
abandoning crown and country. - They are people who want to
do good things in the world. And that's their
vehicle for doing them. - The only president
was Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936 in
order to marry Wallis Simpson. Harry of course is sixth
in line to the throne, and this is not an
exact pattern at all. But there is no doubt that
this will have seismic effects. - [Narrator] There's no doubt
that the reaction inside the palace was just as divided. - While Harry and Meghan's
decision to step down from their Royal duties
was a huge shock. It was also a shock to the
Queen and Prince Philip. Although they knew
about it beforehand, they had no idea that it was
all gonna happen so quickly. They thought this would pan out and be carefully organized. Instead it was just
a snap decision. And then Harry and Meghan
put a sort of blueprint on their website. So the Royal family
were very shocked and actually very angry, but they wanted to help. The queen in particular
wanted to help. And Meghan, she understood
how difficult it was for outsiders to
marry into the family. And she said, you know, I'm leaving the
door open for you. - [Narrator] The now-free
couple announced a new future of financial independence, stepping back from
the Royal family, but insisted they would
continue to support their causes and of course, Her
Majesty, the Queen. They shared plans
to split their time between North
America and the UK. And just like that, as quickly as the whirlwind
romance had started back in July 2016, less than three years on, they were gone. - What was it like?
(chuckling) It was exciting. I mean, I'd been seeing
her for a period of time when I literally didn't
tell anybody at all. And then William was
longing to meet her. And so was Catherine, so, you know, being
our neighbors, we managed to get
that in a couple of, well, quite a few times now. And Catherine's been
absolutely amazing. - Wonderful. - As has William as well. Fantastic support. And then my father's
already had a couple of, no, more than that. A handful of teas and meetings and all sorts of gatherings
over at his place as well. So, no, the family together
being absolutely solid support, and my grandparents as
well have been wonderful throughout this whole process. And they've known
for quite some time. So how they haven't
told anybody is again, a miracle itself. But no, the whole family
have come together and have been a huge
amount of support. - They've been amazing. (somber music) - [Narrator] Despite being
born into Royal privilege, Prince Harry's life
hasn't been easy. He has endured tragedy,
heartbreak and loss. Fitting in to the archaic
institution of monarchy has been a struggle
his entire life. I think it's probably very
difficult being the second son because you don't really
have a defined role. You're just the
joker in the pack. The attention is very much
focused on the eldest child, as it was with William. I mean, Diana made a
very conscious effort not to allow that to happen, but of course it did. Harry became important by
being this big character, being this brave boy. So I think it does
affect these kids. I mean, when you look
at Princess Margaret, she never found the happiness
she should have done. She was always completely in
the shadow of her eldest sister 'cause her eldest
sister was Queen. - Prince Harry, I won't
say dropped out of school, but he came very close
to dropping out of it, and he left with some rather
appalling exam results. And there was a delay
before he joined the army, which was really his
only option wasn't. University wasn't on the table. In that period, I think Harry now by his
own admission would say that he went through
a very bad patch. - And then of course there's
the notorious strip at Vegas, which was really, really wild. - Harry learned a lot in
that small period of time. And I don't think at
that stage in his life anybody could have
said anything to him that he would have
taken notice of. But luckily he's
grown up since then. - [Ingrid] Every
misdemeanor that Harry's had has sort of leaked
out to the press, 'cause we all want to
see Harry being Harry. - I think when it
comes to Prince Harry, it's obvious that
there's huge affection between the two brothers. Even when he was very little, when he was 10, 11 years old, and he'd see the girls
starting to scream because Prince William
was coming along. 'cause he was a bit older and they could see
he was very handsome. We're told Prince Harry would
encourage the girls to scream, just because he knew it really
embarrassed his brother. So he seems to be the more
playful one, Prince Harry. And again, that would bear out what the
Princess of Wales said in that Panorama interview
about he's more of a Spencer wild
child than William is. And we can see it, can't we? In the pictures we
see in his antics and the kind of
things he likes to do. But I also get the impression
from the times we've seen the two together
talking to one another and about one another, 'cause they've spoken about
their closeness as brothers. That you get the feeling
that Prince William, for all he's understanding
of the seriousness of his role in the future, he makes it very clear
that he needs his brother and he values that perhaps
childlike fun element that's in his life. - Finally got hands-on to a
job that I absolutely adore, and it's still hard work. But well, I'm better than
William, so it's fun. - (laughs) Yeah, just like that. - [Interviewer] Have you
been helping him to be exact? - Oh yeah, an awful lot. He needs a lot of help. Yeah, it's the RFYC. You have to help the
army out quite a lot. - [Interviewer] But
does it come down to a sort of mental
math test or? - Yeah, a bit of that. Future questions, try
and catch him out. - [Interviewer] Seven-eighths? - Yeah, it's actually
lots of that. - [Narrator] In 2013, Prince Harry spent four
months in Afghanistan with the British army. He often refers
to his time there as some of the most
humbling days of his life, and while serving he preferred
to be known as Captain Wales, as opposed to his formal
Royal title of Prince Harry. He regarded those
days as the only time he could really be himself, far away from the scrutiny
and rigidity of life at home. Harry's time in the military
consequently inspired much of his charitable work when
he returned to Royal duties. This includes the
internationally-successful
Invictus games. (sorrowful music) In his younger years, when Harry was starting to date, he lost many potential
lifelong partners abruptly all for the same reason, the cameras and hounding
press were just too much of an intrusion. There is no doubt that
Harry has always struggled with his relationship
to the press. It is clear that he still
holds resentment towards the paparazzi that chased
his mother, Princess Diana, that fateful night in Paris when she was killed
in a car crash. - Prince Harry's relationship
with the media went bad and has got progressively worse
ever since his mother died. He believes deeply
and profoundly that
the media contributed to his mother's untimely death. It's almost impossible
to describe to a stranger or someone who's never
met Princess Diana, what she was really like, what I usually say is she
was as beautiful inside as she was out. She loved to have fun. She loved to giggle. She loved to play
practical jokes, and she loved nothing
more than cuddling up with her two boys watching TV. And the boys were the
center of her world. William, although he
looks like his mother, is more like his father. He's studious,
he's very careful, he's very respectful,
he's duty bound. Harry on the other hand is a hybrid of the Spencer's
red hair and the Windsors', but he has his mother's
naughty streak. Harry is the fun guy. Harry was always the soldier. William was always the general. - To anyone in the know, it was very obvious that
the Wales's marriage was in real trouble, and by the late 80s, inevitably the
announcement was made by the then-prime
minister, John Major, that Diana and Charles
were going to separate. Now Diana knew that this
was going to ricochet, and she made sure that the
first people who found out that they were going to
separate were William and Harry, and she actually made the drive
to Ludgrove School herself to go and tell them. Harry took it very
badly of course, being younger than William. He was incredibly upset. William was very stoic
and said to his mother, well, if you're going
to be happy, mommy, then this is the
right thing to do. Because of course, Diana
didn't have many confidants. I think with the
palace came a lockdown. Yes, there were some courtiers but you couldn't really
confide in courtiers. There were some close friends, but the person she really
often confided in was William. And as a young boy, trying to cope with that was a
huge weight on his shoulders, but it was William who would
push tissues under the door to Diana while she was having
a good sob in the bathroom. - Diana, Princess of Wales
has been seriously injured in a car accident in Paris. Her companion, the Harrods
heir Dodi Al-Fayed, has been killed. The driver of the Princess's
car is also understood to be dead. The accident happened
at just after midnight in the west of the city
near the Alma bridge. - First I want to pay
tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional
and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her
capacity to smile and laugh nor to inspire others with
her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected
her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her
devotion to her two boys. - [Female] The boys were
told early in the morning before they would
have had a chance to have turned the news on. - You know, I remember the day
William and Harry came back to Kensington Palace
after their mother died. I remember standing in the
hallway and William walked in and shook my hand and asked
me if I was all right. I said, "I'm fine, thank you." Harry ran down the corridor, flung his arms around
me and broke his heart. I still remember his tears
wet my shirt through. He was brokenhearted. - William and Harry
are acutely aware of where things went wrong in
the press in their early life. And there's an argument, quite a strong one, to suggest that the wheels
so spectacularly fell off Diana's life and
her public image and how she was
portrayed in the press, and how she was pursued by
journalists and photographers that contributed to
her tragic demise. - Ever since her death, he has tried to find
an accommodation. And that accommodation
has been his acceptance that the intense interest
in him could be used by him to throw a focus on issues
that he is passionate about. - [Narrator] In
more recent years, Harry has chastised the press for their treatment
of Meghan Markle, releasing unprecedented
statements highlighting racist and unethical behavior. - We were introduced
actually by a mutual friend. It was through her. And then we met once and
then twice back-to-back, two dates in London. Last July?
- [Meghan] Yes. - [Harry] Beginning of July. - Harry saw Meghan's photograph on Violet von Westenholz's
Instagram account, because Violet does
PR for Ralph Lauren, and Meghan was in this
country, in England, doing some PR for suits and
she was wearing Ralph Lauren. But he saw the photographs
and thought wow, she's hot. And Violet said, "Well,
would you like to meet her? "She's over here." - So they met through
a mutual friend. Who set them up
really on a blind date and they had their
first date at Soho House in London in 2016. - [Narrator] They got on so well that after just three hours, they decided to return
for a romantic dinner the next evening. Meghan ticked all Harry's boxes. And it goes without saying
that he was head over heels for her after just
those first two dates. - And then of course, with Meghan living and
working at the time in Toronto in Canada where
she was filming suits, and Harry being based in London, they realized they would have
to really go out of their way to make time for each
other very quickly. So within a few weeks
of that first date, they were on holiday
together in Botswana. - They were camping
under the stars. I don't think it's
camping in a way that you and I know it. It's probably a bit more
luxurious than that. - Prince Harry had
dated a string, really, of beautiful English socialites. They tended to be
blonde and willowy. Very great
backgrounds, you know? Wealthy families, went
to the right schools. However, what Meghan
brought to the equation was a lot of humanitarian work
that Harry's ex-girlfriends just couldn't even touch
with a 10-foot pole. Meghan had actually
worked for the UN, she'd gone on missions
and trips to support women and children in the
developing world. Meghan had been a
global humanitarian long before she
met Prince Harry. And I think as
Harry was very close to stepping into his
full role as a member of the Royal family, the possibility
of meeting someone who was equally
impassionate and engaged about changing the world
and helping other people was extremely
attractive to Harry. I think if you watch
the engagement interview that Harry and
Meghan did on BBC, and they talk about
their first meeting and how they
instantly connected, it's apparent that yes, there
was a mutual attraction, but it went far
beyond the physical. Meghan and Harry were attracted to what each other believed in and what each other
wanted to do in the world. (thoughtful music) - I think Meghan had quite a
difficult initial period after their relationship
was confirmed. And we know this because
Harry issued a statement defending her and sort
of warning people off. You know, she described it as disheartening
and discriminatory, but Harry himself mentioned
sort of racial undertones, which is pretty upsetting
for anyone concerned. And I think it is a
difficult situation when you're thrust into the
glare of media interest, the Royal family garner a
huge amount of attention. And we know that they're not
necessarily delighted by it, but they work closely
with the media to get their messages across. But I think nothing
prepared Harry and Meghan for the wave of
interest that followed the announcement of
their relationship. And in fact, it was Harry's
statement that confirmed they were a couple
for the first time. I think it's a
really difficult one because they are going to have
to get used to the scrutiny. But it's only right that
she's treated fairly. And I think it was
upsetting for everyone to see that she'd been caused
problems by this coverage. - There's a misconception
that because I have worked in the entertainment industry, that this would be something
I would be familiar with. But even though
I'd been on my show for I guess six
years at that point and working before that, I've never been part
of tabloid culture. I've never been in pop
culture to that degree, and lived a
relatively quiet life even though I focus
so much on my job. And so that was a really stark
difference out of the gate. And I think we were just
hit so hard at the beginning with a lot of mistruths
that I made the choice to not read anything. Positive or negative, it
just didn't make sense. And instead we focused
all of our energies just on nurturing
our relationship. - On us, yeah.
- On us. - [Narrator] After
those first two dates, Harry whisked Meghan away to his favorite place
in the world, Botswana. He told Meghan to fly to the
UK and leave the rest to him. Things seemed too
good to be true, and back at the palace,
whispers were starting to spread about concerns that the couple
were moving too quickly. According to a source
close to the couple, Prince Harry was cautioned
early on to take his time with this girl from his brother. Prince Harry didn't take
lightly to his words of warning. He took the advice to be the
embodiment of the snobbery that the Royal
institution oozed to him. From this point on, the famously-close brothers
began to drift further and further apart. What had been the fab three
was now a bitter fab four. According to sources, William's wife Kate did
not perpetuate the divide, but did little to resolve it. - There is no doubt that
when anybody marries into the Royal family, the media immediately start
looking into the background and the family of that person. And with Meghan
it was quite easy because she's been very
public on social media and on the internet. She'd spoken about her
biracial background. The fact that her
ancestors were slaves. She'd spoken extensively about
her charity work as well. So we had a really
quite graphic picture of the type of woman she was; a feminist, somebody who
believed in speaking out about her mixed-race background. And I think that
all of this actually was positive in my opinion, because it gave the
media a platform which they could
base their stories. - Meghan Markle is
a California girl. In fact, her dad Thomas
was in the film industry. He worked on set. And one of Meghan's
earliest memories actually and what she says inspired
her to be an actress was being on set of the show,
"Married With Children," a show that her dad
worked on for years as a lighting
director, I believe. Meghan grew up very much
not so much in the industry, but close, kind of on the
periphery of show business. I think she got a real taste
of it from a very early age. And Meghan was always
a natural performer. We've seen videos of
her in school plays. We know that she was always
kind of gravitating towards the stage and being on stage. Meghan seemed to do really well with the kind of attention
and scrutiny that came with being an actress. And there's no doubt that
really from an early age Meghan always kind of stood
out from the rest of her peers. (thoughtful music) - [Narrator] From the
initial announcement of their relationship, to the engagement and all
the way to the wedding. Harry and Meghan were
the hottest headline in every newspaper. All that attention began to
cause more and more problems. - Ever since he
set eyes on Meghan and fell in love with Meghan, he feared the day when
he might lose her. And he believes that the
media may play a part in his losing her. - Meghan and Harry had very
much a whirlwind romance. When you are a Royal
trying to date someone who's a Hollywood actress, which is not unprecedented
but it is unusual, it's very important to
stay under the radar. One of the big dangers
of this relationship is that there would be a host of
publicity, a host of press, and then the two would break up, and then both of them
are plagued and haunted by the rest of their
lives by questions about this relationship
which was never meant to be. So for celebrities, it's very important
before they go public to make sure that it's really
serious and it's gonna last, because otherwise
it's just embarrassing and it's just bad
publicity for everyone. In the case of Harry and Meghan, I think they knew very early on that this was potentially
going to be a lifelong romance, but they were very cautious and they tried to keep their
relationship under the radar as they got to know each other, to make sure before
they went public. Harry made several
surreptitious visits to Meghan's condo in Toronto. He would come and go, and really nobody
figured out who he was. And Meghan was being
secretly brought over here, stayed with him in
Kensington Palace. And again, none where the wiser. Meghan and Harry kept most
of their early courting days behind closed doors. You know, they say that she
was cooking him a roast chicken when he proposed. They were used to spending
a lot of evenings at home having home-cooked meals because they frankly couldn't
go out to restaurants. But I think the intimacy
of their early days when they were really
forced to spend most of their time alone
together at home contributed to their
close connection and bond. - [Narrator] The pressure
on Meghan and her family were like nothing she
had ever experienced. Insignificant
family disagreements became international feuds. Difficulty with handling
her father's exploitation by the media led to him being
cut from the wedding plans, and the stress led him to suffer a life-threatening
heart attack. - Windsor was, I mean,
an incredible scene the day of the Royal wedding. Everyone was excited. The crowds were enormous. As you came up that very
famous park, it was mobbed. I mean, both sides of where
their carriage was going to go was thousands and thousands
of people stood back-to-back ready to cheer them on. The applause, the cheers as they drove
through Windsor were deafening. (crowd cheering) There was a tremendous
amount of love and support for Meghan and Harry
on their special day. As is custom, the
Queen's wedding gift to Meghan and Harry were titles. She gave them the titles of
the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. - I think everybody was
stunned when Meghan got out of the Queen's
Phantom Rolls Royce. I mean, she was in this
virginal white dress with a beautiful train, and on the train
were embroidered the emblems of the Commonwealth. Obviously her borrowed
thing was the tiara, which was a beautiful,
beautiful bandeau tiara from the Queen's collection. - There were no mixed feelings about her Stella
McCartney party dress that she put on
after the wedding. That was universally
said to be a winner. And many people,
including myself, actually preferred that dress. It was just a knockout. And there's some very
famous video footage of Meghan and Harry exiting, and they look like they are
literally in a James Bond movie. Harry looks so dapper. They are the most glamorous, gorgeous, sexy, beautiful
couple in that moment. - [Narrator] Meanwhile
in the palace, there was a lack of
trust towards Meghan, and there were fears that
the couple's domination of the headlines would
eclipse other senior members of the Royal family. - [Host] It's my great
pleasure and privilege to invite your Royal Highness, the Duchess of Sussex, to speak. (audience applauding) - We are proud to be
able to join you tonight in celebrating the
125th anniversary of women's suffrage
in your country. The achievements of the
women of New Zealand, who campaigned for
their right to vote and were the first in
the world to achieve it, are universally admired. In looking forward to this
very special occasion, I reflected on the importance
of this achievement, but also the larger impact
of what this symbolizes. Because yes, women's
suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness. Suffrage is not simply
about the right to vote, but also about what
that represents, the basic and
fundamental human right of being able to participate
in the choices for your future, and that of your community; the involvement and voice
that allows you to be a part of the very world that
you are a part of. And women's suffrage
is not simply about the right
to vote for women, but also about what
that represents, the basic and fundamental
human right of all people, including those
members of society who have been marginalized, whether for reasons
of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation, to be able to participate in
the choices for their future and their community. (cameras shuttering) - Hi, guys, how are we (indistinct)?
- [Cameraman] Good to see you. - Oh, you want me
over here. (laughs) - [Cameraman] Yes,
so X marks the spot. - X marks the spot. - [Cameraman] All the
horses in the background. - Nice. - [Cameraman]
(indistinct) Prince Harry, have you got any news
you want to share with us and the world? - Yes. I'm very excited to announce
that Meghan and myself had a baby boy. - There was a lot
written about the way that Meghan and Harry
handled this birth. And some believe there has been
a fundamental disconnect on the part of Meghan and Harry in the difference
between being a celebrity and being a Royal. As a celebrity, you're
entitled to privacy when it comes to
things like this. I mean, of course
you have Beyonce with
reporters camped out at the hospital, but as a celebrity you don't
owe the public anything when it comes to
pictures of your newborn. As a Royal, the expectation is that you do. So as a Royal, the expectation is that
this family, in a way, belongs to the public. They're public servants. And if the people wanna
see a picture of the baby, you give them a
picture of the baby. If the people wanna
see the new mom just hours after
she gives birth, trotted out in stockings
and high heels, then you do it. That has been done up until now, Whether or not that's right, that is the precedent. So for Harry and Meghan to
treat this the way a celebrity would really treat this, which is, "We ask for
privacy at this time," that's not what Royals do. And the British press and some
of the public have been upset because they want to feel
like they're participants in this birth the way they
have in other Royal births. However, Meghan and Harry
have drawn a clear line in the sand and said, no, we have boundaries
and this is ours, and we're not letting you
in to this special moment in the way that say
William and Kate did. The initial hours after the
baby is born belong to us, not to you. That is the difference
in the way celebrities and Royals view these
kinds of things. And that has been
a sticking point for some people in
the British press. - All the work you
do together is great, but working together as family, do you ever have
disagreements about things? (laughing)
- Oh, yes. - Healthy disagreements. - Okay, the last thing
you disagreed on, how did you resolve it? - I can't remember. They come so (indistinct).
(laughing) - But is it resolved? We don't know.
- Oh, we don't know? Well, you're putting on
a great show if it's not. - [Narrator] By 2019, little
progress had been made to reconcile the growing gap between the two
brothers' families. At Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day
service in March 2020, the two couples barely spoke. While a lot was written
about a raging feud between Kate and Meghan, the reality was that the
two barely knew each other. - I think the hopes were that
Kate would help Meghan adjust, and the two women would become
fierce and loyal friends and would be joined at the hip and everything
would go smoothly. Of course we know that's
not what happened. Meghan and Kate have
really not forged the kind of friendship
that I think Royal insiders were hoping that they would. They're by all means cordial, but I don't believe
they are close friends. I think Meghan and Kate
probably don't have all that much in common, and they're both
fully-formed adult women. They're not teenagers that
you take on a trip together and hope they get along. These are two fully-formed women with their own
styles and opinions. And we know about Kate Middleton
that she very much follows the Royal protocol. She does not put a step wrong. Whereas Meghan, I think is
challenging Royal norms. We know she is because she's
already done things markedly differently than any
other Royal has done. So the women are different. Personally, I don't believe
there's been a big rift between Meghan and Kate at all. I think it's more likely
that it's Harry and William who have their own
ideas about things, and the wives are
kind of going along and supporting their husbands. Meghan's comments in a
recent ITV documentary also left many
questions about how well the Royal family tried to
make Meghan feel welcome. - You add this on top of
just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed. Yeah, well, I guess I'd
also thank you for asking because not many people
have asked if I'm okay. But it's a very real thing to be going through
behind the scenes. May I just say that while
I'm here with my husband as a member of the Royal family, I want you to know that for me, I am here with you as a
mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of color
and as your sister. (group cheering)
(drums beating) I am here with you
and I am here for you, and I thank you so much for
showing my husband and I the Spirit of Ubuntu.
(group cheering) And I look forward
to our time over the next few days together. Thank you so much for having us. (audience cheering) - [Blue-Shirt Bystander]
Do you want to stay here? - [Narrator] Harry and Meghan
made the public announcement across their channels
and social media. "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. "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. "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 honor
our duty to the queen, "the Commonwealth
and our patronages. "This geographic balance will
enable us to raise our son "with an appreciation
for the Royal tradition "into which he was born "while also providing
our family with the space "to focus on the next chapter, "including the launch of
our new charitable entity. "We look forward to
sharing the full details "of this exciting next
step in due course, "as we continue to collaborate
with Her Majesty, the Queen, "the Prince of Wales, "the Duke of Cambridge, "and all relevant parties. "Until then, please
accept our deepest thanks "for your continued support. "The Duke and
Duchess of Sussex." - This has opened
up a Pandora's box, and there are so many
wider issues at stake. The future of the monarchy, the streamline monarchy that you keep hearing
people talking about. What does that
actually look like if Meghan and
Harry do step down? - Yeah, they're
clearly very unhappy with the Royal existence
that they have at the moment and the way that their
public life impinges on them. It's something they
clearly wanna change. And many people will
have sympathy with that. It's understandable. The crux of the matter is
you can't be half Royal. You can be a part of
the Royal machine. You can accept the
privileges that go with it, but also take the
restrictions and all that. And you live in
a sort of bubble, or you can stand back. I mean, the next generation of Dukes
of Kent, Dukes of Gloucester, they're private citizens. No one would recognize
them in the street. You can go down that
route if you want. What you can't do is to be
sort of transatlantic Royals who drop in, do a
bit of Royal stuff, but then go off to do this sort of financial
independence stuff
in LA or Toronto, wherever it is. - They feel they've been
hounded by the media, et cetera. But in reality there's
been nothing like that. - Oh, come on. You would say that! - No, the Royal
Rota system works. I think it's given them
an awful lot of works, and it's been going
since the 1950s. And one must remember that this
is an unelected institution that relies upon
media, publicity, the public support
for its life's blood. - This new relationship
they want is very much what say a celebrity
like Beyonce has, whereby they are in control, they release the images, they choose who comes
and talks to them. I mean, that's a relationship
that works in Hollywood, that's a relationship that
works with celebrities. It's a great open question
whether it's a relationship that can work with a
senior active member of the British Royal family. (rain pattering) - While Harry and
Meghan's decision to step down from their Royal
duties was a huge shock, it was also a shock to the
Queen and Prince Philip. Although they knew
about it beforehand, they had no idea that it was all gonna
happen so quickly. They thought this would pan
out and be carefully organized. Instead it was just
a snap decision, and then Harry and Meghan
put a sort of blueprint on their website. So the Royal family
were very shocked and naturally very angry. - [Narrator] The couple
decided that they wanted to leave Royal life behind
and make a break for freedom, but the Palace
were not receptive. Prince Harry and his
wife Meghan considered the extreme measure of
breaking Royal protocol to contact the Queen as tensions
grew in the Royal family. Sources say Harry emailed
his grandmother and father to say that he and Meghan
had come to the decision to change the way they worked, to step back and spend
more time abroad. With both family
members informed, Charles's private office was
requested to schedule a time for the two to meet the Queen, who was based at
Sandringham for the holiday, as soon as the Sussexes returned
to the UK on January sixth. Their trip to London
was going to be short, but Harry was keen to ensure that by the time they returned to Canada at the
end of the week, their new chapter
had been secured. However, Harry was told his
grandmother was unavailable until the end of the month, and ordinarily
that would be that. At this point, they felt like they had brought
up the subject enough times with family members
over the past year, and they were fed up with
not being taken seriously, a source close to
the couple said. - I think the whole plan
that Harry and Meghan had is a really problematic one because they're talking
about stepping back, they're talking, their
critics would argue, about having their
cake and eat it. They're talking about
one day representing the Queen on a foreign
tour to another country, on another day, say
in North America, earning serious money with
some sort of endorsement of some sort of product. The risk is that those two
things aren't compatible. The risk is that their
pursuit of money will tarnish the Windsor brand and
tarnish the House of Windsor. - It's extraordinary that
Harry and Meghan took the step without
consulting the Queen, or indeed without
consulting Harry's father, the Prince of Wales, or his brother, William. The facts of the
matter are, however, that this is symptomatic
clearly of the fact that they are unhappy
with Royal roles and feel deeply pressurized. - I mean, this is the
real problem for the Queen and Prince Charles; they are dealing with
this as a grandmother and as a father on the one hand, and they're also dealing
with it as the protector of a ancient dynasty. And we have seen that
how as protectors of the ancient dynasty, when they need to, they act brutally as they
did with Prince Andrew when they removed him
from public office. - The only president
was Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936 in
order to marry Wallis Simpson. Harry, of course, is sixth
in line to the throne, and this is not an
exact pattern at all, but there is no doubt that
this will have seismic effects. - There may be a point
that at some stage that the Queen, Charles
and William believe that what Meghan and
Harry are proposing is a threat to the institution, the British monarchy, then they will act. - The only sensible way of
proceeding was to have arranged this beforehand with other
members of the Royal family, with the Royal household. They've chosen to do the
opposite and go rogue. The result therefore could
have very serious consequences. There is the security costs, there's where they are
to live in North America. As a British taxpayer
paying 2.4 million already for their home in Frogmore. And there will be issues
dealing with staff, issues also dealing
with Royal engagements. They say they want to
keep that patronages, so it raises more
questions than it answers. What it emphasizes is how
unhappy and stressed they are. - They wanted to help. The queen in particular
wanted to help her. And Meghan, she understood how difficult
it was for outsiders to marry into the family. And she said, you know, I'm leaving the
door open for you. I'm absolutely determined that I want to leave
the door open for you. Your cottage will remain there. Let's review the
situation in a year. - [Narrator] The tipping
point crisis meeting was arranged for January 13th. The crisis meeting was in
reality just a private lunch with a lot on the table, so to speak. The biographical book,
"Finding Freedom," described the lunch eloquently. Sitting at the
Queen's dining room in her Windsor Castle apartment, it was just like the old days. While he had lost respect
for parts of the institution and even certain family
members at points, the Queen was still one of
the most important women in his life. As they tucked
into a roast lunch, the queen made it clear to Harry that she would
always support him in whatever he decided to do. Though a 12 month trial period
had already been promised to Harry earlier in the year, their conversation
was also a reminder that should he and Meghan
ever want to return to their roles, they were always welcome. After days of silence
from the palace and amidst the public
mania at the announcement, Her Majesty, the Queen
released a statement to clarify the next steps for the couple. "Following many months
of conversations "and more recent discussions. "I am pleased that together, "we have found a constructive
and supportive way forward "for my grandson and his family. "Harry, Meghan and Archie will
always be much-loved members "of my family. "I recognize the challenges
they have experienced "as a result of intense scrutiny
over the last two years, "and support their wish for
a more independent life. "I want to thank them for
all their dedicated work "across this country, the
Commonwealth and beyond, "and am particularly
proud of how Meghan "has so quickly become
one of the family. "It is my whole family's
hope that today's agreement "allows them to start
building a happy "and peaceful new life." Buckingham Palace also
had the following to say, "The Duke and Duchess
of Sussex are grateful "to Her Majesty and
the Royal family "for their ongoing
support as they embark on "the next chapter
of their lives. "As agreed in this
new arrangement, "they understand that they
are required to step back "from Royal duties, "including official
military appointments. "They will no longer receive
public funds for Royal duties. "With the Queen's blessing, "the Sussexes will
continue to maintain "their private patronages
and associations. "While they can no longer
formally represent the queen, "the Sussexes have made clear "that everything they do will
continue to uphold the values "of Her Majesty. "The Sussexes will not
use their HRH titles "as they are no longer working
members of the Royal family. "The Duke and Duchess of
Sussex have shared their wish "to repay sovereign
grant expenditure "for the refurbishment
of Frogmore Cottage, "which will remain
their UK family home. "Buckingham Palace does
not comment on the details "of security arrangements. "There are well-established
independent processes "to determine the need for
publicly-funded security. "This new model will take
effect in the spring of 2020." - And Harry and Meghan
went off to live in Canada. And then later when the pandemic was closing down the country, they moved to Los Angeles. And that is where their home is, and I think that's
where they'll stay. (hopeful music) - It's definitely sad for the
team at Buckingham Palace. They have a superb team there who've been fiercely
loyal to them. I think the assumption
will have been that there would have been
possibly a core number of staff who would have been
retained to run some kind of operation here for them. They've decided against that. They're severing all ties. It's a really strong signal that they are off on their
own now in America and Canada. - [Narrator] Now
living in Los Angeles with their son, Archie, Harry and Meghan are
putting their business sense to good use as they prepare
to launch a new brand and base for their
future endeavors. - I think I can very safely say, as naive as it sounds now, having gone through this
learning curve in the past year and a half, I did not have any understanding of just what it would be like. I don't think either
of us did that. We both said that even though
we knew that it would be- - [Harry] No, I tried to
warn you as much as possible, but I think both of us
were totally surprised by the reaction after the
first five, six months when we had to ourselves of what actually
happened from then. So I think you can have as
many conversations as you want and try and prepare
as much as possible, but we were totally unprepared
for what happened after that. - [Narrator] Absence makes
the heart grow fonder. Such has been the case
for the two brothers. It is known that
Harry and William are rebuilding their bridges via intercontinental Zoom calls. Their bond has always
been immeasurably strong, and now that pressures
have subsided, it feels as though a
new mutual understanding will carry them forward. Whether it was their plan from
the start remains in doubt, but there was little doubt that this mold-breaking
modern couple would outgrow the old-fashioned
institutions of royalty. And now they finally
have their freedom. (hopeful music)
