The history of Sussex bomb-drops

OCTOBER 2018

The couple’s first overseas tour to Australia and New Zealand begins with the announcement that they are expecting a baby. It’s later discovered in the same month that a complaint was made claiming the Duchess drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.

OCTOBER 2019

Time for ITV’S Harry & Meghan: An African Journey and its marmalade-dropper soundbites. “[William and I] are certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, as I know he will always be there for me,” Harry said. Meghan spoke of the pressure of being a working royal. This coincided with launching legal action against Associated Newspapers.

JANUARY 2020

The Sussexes announce their plans via the social media platform Instagram to “step back” from their life as working royals. Instead, they will “work to become financially independent”. However, it later becomes apparent that a key income stream over the next two years will stem from raking through the very act of walking away from The Firm.

MARCH 2021

The earth-shattering 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey airs while the Duke of Edinburgh is in hospital. The revelations are numerous ranging from the gravely serious (accusations of racism; Meghan saying she contemplated suicide) to the trivial (they keep chickens). Was she silent, or silenced? “Some recollections may vary,” the Palace responded.

JULY 2021

Prince Harry announces that he will publish a “raw, unflinching” memoir. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful,” he says, also revealing that it will be called Spare. It is already discounted at WH Smith.

DECEMBER 2022

In the week that the Prince and Princess of Wales attempt to garner themselves some attention, out comes a trailer for a “behind the scenes” Meghan and Harry

Netflix documentary. The Waleses’ tour has been planned for at least six months. They managed to keep the Sussexes off the front pages for 12 hours.