Today marks six years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back from their roles as working royals.
The decision, made public in January 2020, sent shockwaves around the world and sparked intense debate about the future of the monarchy and the Sussexes’ place within it.
Royal watchers followed every development closely. Many questioned what Megxit would mean for The Firm. Others focused on what it would mean for Harry and Meghan themselves.
Why the Sussexes kept their titles
Despite leaving their frontline royal roles, the couple retained their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That decision has continued to puzzle both critics and supporters.
A common question has followed them ever since. Why step away from royal duties and the spotlight, while remaining public figures with royal titles?
It is a question Harry and Meghan have faced repeatedly. One that resurfaced prominently in 2023.
That year, while promoting his memoir Spare, Prince Harry addressed the issue directly. He did so during a televised interview in the United States.
A couple of years on from the Sussexes’ high profile interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry appeared on US television with Anderson Cooper. During the discussion, he was asked why he still used the Duke of Sussex title despite his strained relationship with the royal family.
Prince Harry’s six word reply
Cooper asked: “Why not renounce your titles as duke and duchess?”
Harry’s response was short and blunt.
“And what difference would that make?” he said.
Cooper pressed further. He referenced a common criticism. Why leave the institutional role, move to California, and then remain so public? Why speak openly about private conversations with his father and brother?
Prince Harry challenged a royal motto
Harry defended his position. In doing so, he questioned one of the royal family’s long-held principles.
Harry pointed to the royal family’s motto of “never complain, never explain”. He suggested the motto did not reflect his own experience.
“And every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife,” he said.
“You know, the family motto is ‘never complain, never explain’. But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.”
The Duke of Sussex’s comments offered a rare insight into how he views the tension between privacy and public response.
Security remains a key issue for Harry
While Harry kept his duke title, he did lose one significant privilege after stepping back. His automatic police protection in the UK was downgraded.
That decision became the focus of a lengthy legal battle. Harry has consistently argued that security concerns have prevented him from visiting Britain freely.
According to reports from sources close to the Sussexes, that fight may now be nearing its end. A ruling is expected in the coming weeks.
It is believed the decision will be in Harry’s favour. If confirmed, it would see taxpayer-funded security reinstated during his time in the UK.
“It’s now a formality,” a source allegedly told the Mail on Sunday. “Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed on for Harry.”
Six years on from Megxit, the debate continues. But Harry’s stance on his title, and his reasons for keeping it, remain as clear as ever.
Read more: Queen Camilla’s ‘urgent’ warning as book club charity marks anniversary
So, what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.