A Year of Megxit: How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Lives Changed in 2020
It may seem like yesterday, but exactly a year ago today Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shocked the world by announcing that they would distance themselves from their senior positions in British royalty (which many dubbed "Megxit"). Since then, a lot has changed in the couple's life. Despite the growing chaos that befell everyone in 2020, the pair restructured their routines and plunged into new businesses, proving themselves to be two of today's major influencers. L'OFFICIEL looks back at some of the couple's major moments in the last 12 months.
Farewell Tour
In March 2020, Meghan and Harry performed their last services as members of British royalty. Among his commitments were the Endeavor Fund Awards, the Mountbatten Festival of Music, and the Commonwealth Day service. It is worth remembering that on this last occasion, several images showed the discomfort between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William, which gained worldwide prominence and further raised the debate about a rivalry between couples.
Titles
With their departure as working members of the royal family, the couple lost the titles of "Royal Highness." However, the couple still retains their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
New Home
After the couple's announcement, the two moved to Canada, staying in Vancouver with their son Archie. However, this was short-lived, and the family soon settled near Los Angeles, Meghan's hometown. Today, the three live in their own home in Montecito, California.
Construction at Frogmore Cottage
In their time as British royalty, Meghan and Harry moved to Frogmore Cottage, which underwent a major renovation to better suit the couple's wishes. According to the report on Sovereign Grant, all changes to the residence cost £2.4 million (over $3.2 million) in public funds. In September, the couple managed to finish paying that amount.
Archewell
The couple launched Archewell, an organization (named after their son) with three strands: the Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audios, and Archewell Productions. Through it, the couple will be able to maintain a non-profit organization, as well as produce video and audio series. Through their production company, Meghan and Harry launched their podcast of the same name in December 2020.
Policy
Meghan and Harry appeared in a video about the 100 most influential figures of 2020 for Time, encouraging the American people to vote. While Meghan is an American citizen, in the past, the royal family has set a precedent of not commenting on the elections of foreign nations.
Book Launch
First excerpts from the book Finding Freedom, which tells the story of the couple, leaked last year, which led to rumors that royal family members were concerned with the launch. However, a representative for the Sussexes explained that this project was not in tandem with Harry and Meghan's own work, saying, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom."
