MEGXIT CRISIS
SEPT. 23, 2019: Harry and Meghan, along with son
Archie, head to Africa for a two-week royal tour.
OCT. 1: While still on the official trip, Meghan launches legal action against Associated Newspapers over publication of a letter she wrote to her estranged father Thomas Markle. Harry accuses the British tabloids of waging a “ruthless campaign” against his wife.
OCT. 4: Harry starts his own legal proceedings against News Group Newspapers and Reach plc over historical allegations of hacking.
OCT. 20: Harry reveals in an ITV interview filmed during the Africa tour that he and his brother Prince William were on “different paths” and “don’t see as much as we used to”. Meghan also admits to struggling with the public burden of royal life, telling ITV: “It’s not enough to just survive something... You’ve got to thrive.”
NOV. 13: The duke and duchess confirm they are not spending Christmas with the Queen and the royals at Sandringham, but with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland.
JAN. 8, 2020: An exclusive by the Sun reveals Harry and Meghan plan to move to Canada for a time and are reviewing their royal roles.
■ The duke and duchess announce they intend to step back as “senior” members of the royal family, become financially independent and split their time between the UK and North America. Buckingham Palace warns there are “complicated issues that will take time to work through”.
■ Meghan returns to Canada where she had left Archie, and where the Sussexes’ dogs have already been moved. The hashtag “Megxit” starts trending on Twitter.
JAN. 9: The Queen directs all four royal households to find “workable solutions” for the Sussexes within “days not weeks”, working with the governments at home and abroad. JAN. 16: Harry makes his first official appearance since announcing he is quitting as a senior royal. He laughs and jokes his way through an official engagement at Buckingham Palace for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw, ignoring a question from a reporter about his future. JAN. 18: Buckingham Palace says Harry and Meghan will drop their royal titles and stop receiving public funds as part of the settlement with the Queen that lets them spend more private time in Canada. It also says the couple will replay £2.4 million of taxpayer’s money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle.