Though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to be all smiles as they transition out of being senior members of the royal family, the Duke of Sussex’s close friend says that this is an “emotional time for him” as he essentially walks away from his own family. The friend, however, added that Prince Harry has always wanted to seek a normal life.
“It’s an emotional time for him in many ways,” Harry’s unnamed friend told Vanity Fair this week. “I think in many ways it’s bittersweet. He’s always wanted to have a regular life and to get away from the spotlight, and that’s what he’s doing, but it basically means walking away from his family. Harry’s a loving, loyal guy so that will be very hard for him.”
Ken Wharfe, a former bodyguard for Princess Diana, told Vanity Fair that his mother would have “applauded” his decision to leave the royal family.
“Diana always said you have to make your own way in this family and Harry is doing that,” said Wharfe. “I think she’d applaud him for what he’s doing but I think she would advise him to think very carefully about what he does next and to take some time. Harry has made the choice to go and now he has to start all over again and I suspect it’s going to be a long road. He effectively has to rebrand himself. His mother used to say ‘I wish I was normal’ and I would say you can do normal things but you will never be normal. It’s the same for Harry.”
“I know he was immensely proud to be a part of the royal family and to be able to continue his mother’s work,” Wharfe continued. “He has also always had great respect for the queen. Harry was a key player in the royal family, he was always going to be. Now he’s leaving which is very sad for everyone involved.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s plans for a clean break were somewhat dampened recently when Queen Elizabeth forced the couple to drop their desired brand name and trademark “Sussex Royal.” Though the couple will still be allowed to keep their HRH titles, they will be barred from using the word royal.
“While The Duke and Duchess are focused on plans to establish a new non-profit organization, given the specific UK Government rules surrounding use of the word Royal, it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organization, when it is announced this Spring, will not be named Sussex Royal Foundation,” the couple said in a statement via spokeswoman. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ in any territory post Spring 2020. Therefore, the trademark applications that were filed as protective measures, acting on advice from and following the same model for the Royal Foundation, have been removed.”
Reports have also recently been surfacing that Meghan Markle plans to revive her acting career, with sources saying that she told her agent to seek her an ensemble role in a superhero blockbuster movie.
“Meghan is planning a series of meetings in Hollywood,” a source told Daily Mail. “She has already done the voiceover for Disney and now word is out that she’s looking for a superhero film, as a voiceover or even on screen. She knows she can’t carry a film as an actress. People won’t be able to get past the fact she’s Meghan Markle. But she’s determined to act again and she thinks a big, ensemble film is the way to go … something that pays big but which doesn’t put her front and centre.”