I’m going to be completely honest here: I 100% believe that Prince William and Buckingham Palace courtiers have been trying to make Project Exile The Sussexes happen for months. It’s been a conversation since the last months of the Duchess of Sussex’s pregnancy, when all of those mysterious reports started appearing about William wanting the Sussexes out of the UK, and that he wanted them sent to a commonwealth country, but a country without a big media presence. Australia and Canada were taken off the table, and there was a lot of “send them to Africa” stories. At some point – perhaps because William understands that he looks medieval in wanting to exile his brother – the story began to purposefully shift to “the Sussexes WANT to be exiled.” This, despite the fact that they have repeatedly insisted that they plan on staying in the UK. The most recent Mail on Sunday piece continued to lay the groundwork for this when “courtiers” insinuated that there were still plans afoot for the Sussexes to live in the US for six months or so. I can only imagine what those courtiers are saying to Meghan and Harry right now, but here we go:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are considering setting up a second base in the US and will use their upcoming trip to California to test out a move, it is believed. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be favouring a stateside relocation that would see them spend large parts of the year in the country of the duchess’s birth. The Sussexes are expected to spend Thanksgiving with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland as part of a six-week break from Royal duties.
Next month’s trip, which will be baby Archie’s first visit to the States, comes after Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, voiced their desire to leave the UK last week. Harry described Cape Town in South Africa as ‘an amazing place to be able to base ourselves’ in an TV interview, but the couple are now said to favour a move to the US.
A source told The Sun that royal staff working for the Queen and Prince Charles are concerned that such a move could pave the way for an exit from the family. They told the newspaper: ‘There’s an acceptance that things haven’t worked out with the Sussexes full-time in Windsor so they could have a second base in America.’
Yeah, Harry did say that Cape Town would be amazing but in the next breath, he rejected the idea. He wanted to make it clear that he’ll always do work in Africa but that his home is in the UK. Meghan isn’t even a British citizen yet, right? Anyway, I really don’t believe that this is Harry and Meghan wanting to live in America full time or part time. I think this is still William and those bitchy courtiers doing anything and everything they can to get Harry and Meghan out of the country and out of the spotlight. But it’s such a stupid idea at every level – if the Sussexes are exiled, then what? William and Kate won’t have anyone to hide behind and copycat. Will and Kate can basically do no wrong with the press with the Sussexes around.
Photos courtesy of WENN and Backgrid.
Ridiculous but they will keep trying and failing.
Yeah banishing them to L.A. will really diminish their star power.
I don’t think either of the Cambridges are exactly Mensa level, so they might think this will work out great.
Right? They’ll completely disappear in Los Angeles…🙄
I volunteer to be a nanny!
eta: I don’t actually believe they’ll move anywhere outside of the UK.
I mean, we all know they are not going to be exiled, so the fact that there is still discussion of it is weird to me.
But, I do think its plausible in the future if Harry and Meghan spend time in the US – like maybe a month in the summer, a few weeks during extended school breaks, or whatever. Not that different from how other royals go to Scotland for extended visits. Meghan has family here in the US and she grew up here, so I don’t think its weird for her to want to spend time back here and for Archie to spend time here, especially with her mother.
I agree but I don’t really see how it’s possible while they’re members of the BRF. There is no way they’d get a tay payer funded home in the US, so if it happened it would have to be an entirely private thing. Really I think stories like this are another way to push them out.
Their combined private wealth would be sufficient for a life in L.A. Surely their combined wealth is upwards of $20 million, and they would continue to have wealthy friends with private jets & islands? I think it’s bogus because they want a global platform for their causes, which would be harder to maintain apart from the RF. (Although Cooney & Jolie manage without royal blood).
It is not sufficient for the amount of security they require. The people trying to kill Harry, physical attack Meghan and Archie, they wouldn’t go away if Harry and Meghan left. They’d merely be more successful in their repeated attempts to do harm to the Sussex family.
Remember, if Harry leaves that puts Andrew in charge of George if anything happens to Charles and William. That’s how the royal game works. Next person in the line of succession becomes Regent and in charge of an underage monarch.
I guess if they were to leave the Royal family they would have enough on live on but I think that the point is that they wouldn’t be allowed to pick and choose. I don’t think there would be any tolerance for them living stateside for any amount of time, even if the property was privately funded, if they were going to claim any expenses or use RPO’s. They would also need to secure their own source of income. Making the choice to live in the United States seems like it would also mean making the choice to leave the BRF, so it’s kind of passive aggressive to suggest in the press that they’re thinking along those lines.
Gah. Suffocating. Royal luxury and privilege are hardly the worst things on earth…but that’s a lot of pressure to fall in line.
The Obama’s are multimillionaires and high profile targets. They live in a gated community and couldn’t Harry, Meghan and Arch do the same thing? Security $$ wouldn’t be so high in those circumstances.
Lady D, the Obamas have Secret Service agents protecting their home. They aren’t paying for their protection.
@nota— for some reason I always assumed Andrew was the youngest, supposed favorite and all, I never realized until this moment that Edward is. That Andrew still has a “place” so to speak is repugnant.
Kate and William are boring. Whether the Sussexes are gone or not, the only interesting thing about them are the kids and that’s literally it. That whole Pakistan tour was a dud, like everything else they do. The media doesn’t want the Sussexes to leave because if they move to the US, the press here is bigger and the British press will be virtually ignored. At this point, I don’t even know why the British press would care considering they always say that the Sussexes are irrelevant but are constantly on their asses.
Tabloids want revenue generating clicks. As far the tabloids are concerned, the smear campaign is about nothing but making money.
I mean they’re royals supposed to represent the queen, not celebrities. Boring is good in this case. They’re not supposed to be entertainers.
@notassugarhere; if God forbids, something happens to Charles and William, Harry becomes The Regent, till George comes of age. The line of succession is taken from Charles’s line not Andrew. Unless of course Harry refuses, which I can see it happening, then perhaps, Andrew would step in to be The Regent.
There’s no “perhaps” about it. Charles, William, Harry and Andrew are Counsellors of State, which are the four people next in the line of succession over age 21 (over age 18 for the direct heir). If Harry leaves, and something should happen to Charles and William while George is still underage, Andrew will be Regent.
As if the press won’t just follow them. especially if they’re remain members of the RF. “Exiling” them to another commonwealth country sounds so insulting as if the country is some sort of “punishment”. W&K should the last ones on Team Exile, not while they’re the tabloid darlings for the simple fact that they’re not H&M.
The British Media still thinks the United Kingdom is the British Empire, not.
Talking about exile is so 1936.
Not just the British media, some British people, ie; Brexiteers, think the British Empire is still a thing.
The tabloid media knows the monarch cannot exile the couple but use that word because it triggers the bigots, low-brows and irrationally envious, all of whom have forsaken common sense for hate.
As if the press won’t continue to target them, this time without the added *implicit* support of the royal family. Regardless of what anyone says, staying in the UK provides them with more benefits than leaving ever would, especially for a place like LA, which would only serve to discredit them further (they’re absentee royals/what do we pay them for/etc etc.) It’s actually pretty astute of the courtiers to do this, because by doing so, they’re making them even bigger targets by removing them from the British public eye, undercutting their support at home. “They LEFT see, they WANTED to leave, all while they can go bandy about with their celebrity friends in LA, on the TAXPAYER DIME, while people at home STARVE and SUFFER.”
Until this is announced by SR itself, this is just more nonsense to distract us from the Real issue ANDREW.
BP, CH and KP really cranking up the drama on this one which makes them all complicit in Andy’s heinous behavior. They will all go to hell in a hand-basket when this eventually catches up with Andy and Meg/ Harry will be on the right side of history.
I’m really curious why TQ and Charles are consistently left out of this narrative.
TQ will do whatever it takes to cover for Andrew, including scapegoating her grandchildren.
These Titanic-sized leaks didn’t spring until after Chuck’s bio and he’s been known to use his sons for an image boost.
Ok so I am no fan of William and Kate although Kate has slightly grown on me in the last year or two William,um…no.
But I think while the Cambridges may be benefiting and even enjoying the smear on the Sussexes,I feel it’s coming from the top,WAY up top.Charles,sure,but I don’t think TQ is such an innocent old lady here.I think history has shown that the monarch has control,TQ herself is tough as nails,and I believe she is quite happy to throw anybody under the bus for the sake of the firm,and to cover for pedo Andrew.Frankly I don’t think anyone in the senior RF cares who they scapegoat so long as they keep their palaces,status,money galore.
In this instance it’s Meghan and Harry and they could not care less if she faces racism,hatered,and so much disgusting treatment. I think this family does what it has to do to protect the very existence of the monarchy,and are so tone deaf they don’t even see the big deal.
And if M and H and baby move anywhere the press will still be on them.
“And if M and H and baby move anywhere the press will still be on them.”
Leaving the UK will only give the UK tabloid press more fodder to convert to BS in comparing the D&D of Sussex to the D&D of Windsor.
I don’t think the Queen would ever consciously smear any member of the family. But I think she knows perfectly well, after seven decades as monarch, that negative press of others makes some people look better in contrast. Her first duty is to the crown and its succession and continuation. To that end, it is in her best interest to be supportive of Charles and William, who will need the good press. I don’t think she’s overly concerned about anyone else, least of all their feelings on the subject.
ETA: Wrt Andrew, I think the decision to support him is twofold. One, he is the Queen’s favourite child, without question. She’ll bat for him no matter what. Two, I think she sees Andy’s criminal behaviour as an actual existential threat to the RF. Imagine if he were ever actually deposed, or indicted, or in any way held to account for his crimes. What would that mean for the monarchy? You can combat bad press about family infighting and divorce and pictures of topless sunbathing, but to have the Queen’s son be a convicted felon? That might be something they couldn’t recover from.
ITA, I don’t understand either why the TQ is not called out for
a) supporting pedo Andrew
b) not supporting H&M
The first big smear campaign started with Charles biography and ever since then courtiers have leaked like a sieve, so Charles is def. complicit.
All this drama would make excellent material for future seasons of The Crown if it continues several seasons. 😉
Enn, because this ‘narrative’ is created by the tabloid, that’s why!
Sorry, but who/what is SR?
Sussex Royal
Thank you Jen and BTB. My brain hasn’t engaged fully.
I agree. This is all about Andrew.
As a fellow American living in the UK, on your indefinite leave to remain says that you are allowed to be outside of the UK for up to 180 days in any given year, but you cannot be outside of the UK for more than 90 days in any 12-month period in the five years preceding your naturalisation application. So for that reason, I don’t think the Sussex’s will be in America for half a year.
Facts never stopped a highly profitable tabloid smear….
PROFITABLE is the word!
Until it actually happens I’ll sit and wait. I doubt it will because in Harry interviews he’s talked about finding a partner who would be a team with him and help him with royal duties. So I don’t think he wants to leave (especially as this is all he’s known/been doing his whole life which would make adjusting to the “real world” pretty difficult for him)
It’s not fair to Meghan because she gave up everything to be with him.
She made that choice of her own free will. The smear campaign has been terrible but the fact that she would be giving up her life and career as she knew them was absolutley clear to her before she signed up.
I don’t know much about these people except for what I read here, but they don’t seem very well suited (pun intended) for each other. Maybe the romance of becoming a princess was part of the initial allure, but the reality of it all doesn’t look particularly fun especially if you are trying to fit into a foreign country where you have no roots or ties. I hope they can get away for periods of time and spend it back in California and their children can learn about her life and spend time with her mother. Otherwise I wonder about long term viability of this match.
Good point, and I think being partners in royal duties was 100% the plan when they got engaged.
I just think everything turned very sour very fast with the media madness, her father, the horrible tabloid stories and things that appeared to be leaked by the palace to make her look bad. I have thought ever since the People magazine story (here in the U.S.) came out in February that she must be having a terrible time behind the scenes. One of her unnamed friends said in that article that her lifestyle can be very isolating. So if they choose to spend long stretches of time outside the U.K. I would not be surprised. Meghan is extremely intelligent and had a very busy and independent life prior to her engagement to Harry. I can see how she would feel hemmed in with her current life to an unbearable degree.
This should not be a surprise.
They are desperate to CONTOL this couple. They have been trying to control Harry his entire life and now they are trying to control his family. Well, they have never encountered an African-American woman.
Just do you Sussexes.
Why does the press keep acting like the 6 week holiday break is a sabbatical? Don’t all of the royals take a break at the end of the year?
It’s the same narrative with summing up the cost of Meg’s clothes whilst defining Kat’s as ‘custom’. Only Meg is highly accountable and not entitled to the public purse and we know why…
Yes. Yes they do, Aurora! Not to mention the Cambridges just took another week off for school break and have had several other school break holidays already since the school year started. And not to mention Kate takes full maternity leave and Meghan never really did. So I hope everyone who supports the Cambs for school break hols and full mat leave will also be loud in their support of the Sussexes. Especially, as you mention, ALL the royals take a long break in winter. The double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to the Sussexes drive me insane.
Considering the source, this could just be a lot of hot air. If it is true, it seems like it would be a complicated (security, immigration) and costly plan. On the Fail, a lot of posters are up in arms at the (potential) cost to UK taxpayers – in terms of security and in maintaining multiple residences and staff.
I hate to say this, but there could be some truth to this and this might be a way to float the idea out there. I think Harry and Meghan are thinking end game. How much of this can they endure? I bet Harry and Meghan have had THE TALK. The talk about how much staying in the UK and the BRF is worth. Is it more important than protecting Meghan and Archie?
I agree @Busyann. I think they are setting up for a move (though probably not to LA). In the grand scheme of things, Harry is no longer in the immediate royal family and it actually makes sense that he can and would want to branch off. The Sussex’s know that they can continue their charity work from any location, and with their Oprah connections continue to have a massive platform.
I agree and I think that leaving the UK (for at least large chunks of time) might actually be something that the Sussexes WANT not something that is being forced upon them.
I don’t think they would have taken any legal action against the tabloids if their intention was to leave the UK. If their only purpose was to escape the tabloid press, there are other ways to do that. But they’re choosing to fight them. And if they’re choosing to fight them, then I think the intention is that they want to remain in the UK.
I aggree with you. they are not going anywhere. It is a wishful thinking of the courtiers and the media. Harry made it clear, they are not going anywhere, so it is annoying to keep up with this propaganda
Don’t both of these couples need each other to keep trying to ricochet their bad press onto one another? That pendulum always swings.
The source is the Daily Mail and they need that revenue to continue.
It is absolutely laughable that Prince Harry would ever move to/live in the USA. He has no role here, no “work” here and this is someone who is used to being a Prince of the British Realm. In the stuffy tweedy raining pudding soaked UK, he’s never had to tie his own shoe. People have bowed to him for 35 years. He would have no tolerance for it here. Plus, why would PC or PA fund it? How would it support the BRF? British charities? Might as well say he’s moving to Mars.
I’m pretty sure he was tying his own shoes when he was in the military, in active combat, and on his charity trek to the arctic. It’s “absolutely laughable” that some people can’t give him any credit at all. And Meghan has certainly lived in the real world, so I’m pretty sure – out of all the royals – they’d be the best equipped to leave the BRF and do their own thing. I don’t think it’s going to happen (at least not for 15 years), but I could definitely see them being just fine.
Established his first charity at 19, 10 years active military with two deployments to war zones, earned military awards for his helicopter prowess, humanitarian award for his charity work five years ago. As RW writes, these two would be the most able to survive outside the royal environment.
Again, I find it so laughable whenever I read people saying Harry and Meghan couldn’t survive doing any real world stuff. As both @Royalwatcher and @notasugarhere, Harry survived 10 years in the army doing 2 REAL tours of duty in war zones. He had to sleep on the ground and was in REAL fire fights (ie getting shot at). Can’t tie his own shoes my ass. You’re thinking of Charles and William would could never survive outside of the Royal Family @Catherine, not Harry.
Plus, Harry has some real connects like Oprah and the Obamas. He’ll likely be inundated with invites to sit on a host of charity boards just because of his close connections to those two alone. He can also continue his other two charities – Invictus and Sentebale – from anywhere, he doesn’t have to stay in the UK to run them.
All that PLUS the estimated $40 million he inherited from his mother? He’d be perfectly fine if he left. The one issue would be how security would be paid and proved for, but even Meghan didn’t have Royal Protection Officers when she was dating Harry – NBC/Universal provided her with security.
And speaking of Meghan I laugh even more when people think SHE could never live outside of the RF in the real world. That girl’s first job was at 13-14 years old working at a frozen yogurt shop. You *really* think she doesn’t know how to survive in the real world? She had $5 million in the bank BEFORE meeting Harry, and will receive residuals from her film and TV work for the rest of her life. Money isn’t a problem for her either.
I agree with @Royalwatcher . Frankly, Harry and Meghan are the only royals that I think could survive outside of the royal bubble with any type of success.
“It is believed” means “we just made this sh*t up and are seeing what sticks. We don’t know what Harry & Meghan will do or who they’ll see while in LA, but that doesn’t stop us from making this up as we go. We don’t even know for sure if they’re going to LA this year, since personal travel details are private. But here goes some fabrications presented as ~truth”.
How that passes for “journalism” in the UK is beyond me.
Eh, it happens in the US as well, ask Jennifer Aniston how any of her 14 children are doing.
Thing is, we in the US know that stuff is fiction and a joke. You don’t see reporters from US Tabloids talking about Jennifer Aniston’s umpteeth suposed pregancey on, like, World News Tonight or other serious news shows. Meanwhile, you have Royal Reports showing up to talk about this nonsense on BBC News and the like, like it’s serious and credible news.
This whole exile thing is worn out. They are NOT leaving any time soon. Meghan still has to get her citizenship in order…this is just more BS in an ocean of BS.
Also, to add: I honestly don’t think that they would move. Both are invested in their life in England– it’s been Harry’s home for 35 years and it’s going to hard to adapt to a country where his status will mostly mean nothing (just as M is struggling). Meghan gave up much of her life to be with him there, she not only married him but she also married the family and it’s status. Neither of them are leaving.
That said, I thought the talk in the docu about the idea of moving to Cape Town was ok. The media here would a meltdown of course, but most likely they’d be largely ignored (I don’t mean this in a bad way) a)bc the novelty would wear off b) our media mostly focuses on politicians and tabloids aren’t really a thing. They’d have their privacy (this is why I don’t think they’d move to LA US media is just a little less crazier than the UK’s) , but man it’s hot. Today it’s 42°C. I’m dying.
The hottest here so far, has been 38C. I like it hot but 35C is my personal favourite. I really don’t think I could do 42C, just no. Do you at least have a lake or river you can jump into?
Lady D: Not even, they’re mostly dried up. You know it’s bad when a person in Venda is complaining about heat lol.
Harry isn’t leaving no matter how bad the press coverage gets towards his wife and child. He may make a fuss but he’s not going anywhere. Status and the money means to much to people like him even if his wife is suffering he loves the life.
*eyeroll* Harry hates the life. It’s been long reported, long before he met Meghan, not only how much he hates it, but that he WAS thinking of leaving and it was only his grandmother that convinced him not to leave.
Harry never wanted to give up his army career – which is when most of the talk about how much he hated royal life – was going on. He was *made* to give it up to become a full time royal, because it was what his dad and grandmother wanted.
Just your friendly reminder that Dan Wooten from the Sun (who wrote this piece) is friends with Kensington Palace’s Press Secretary… basically this just confirms that these stories are coming from Will and Kate’s camp. I’m not sure if this is being sanctioned directly from them, but it definitely doesn’t look good. Might be the courtier’s that are leaking these stories to try and help “their side.” I just wish this would all end. They all need to figure things out and come together. Whatever is happening right now is not working.
If the Sussex’s did leave the RF the fanbase they would take with them are liberals, millennials, ethnic minorities, LGBT, basically anyone who has even experienced discrimination, and anyone who isn’t an asshole and sees they were bullied. What would be left for the rest of the RF are pensioners, right wing assholes, Nazis and miserable moaning women who hate Meghan just for being an attractive biracial woman married to a prince. All those Cambridge stans who only came out of the woodwork when Meghan appeared would eventually disappear again, leaving them irrelevant again. If Meghan and Harry leave, it basically looks like segregation, which might be popular at the daily mail, but not the rest of the commonwealth, which the queen claims to love so very much. Harry and Meghan have the ‘cool’ young popular vote, if the rest of the RF were smart they could have piggy backed off that, but instead they created a divide. I can’t understand why the queen would risk losing harry from the firm rather than Andrew. I get he’s her son, but he a useless peado.
You bring up a good point wrt who supports who in the RF. With the Brexit vote and everything else, I think the battle lines are more drawn up than ever. And I think the Queen and other people in her orbit are choosing their sides with an eye for who they think can ensure the longevity of the monarchy. From her perspective, I’ll bet that the pensioners, right wing assholes et al are a safer bet because they see the monarchy as an intrinsic part of the British identity, one that disdains foreigners and remains nostalgic about the glory days of the empire, and are therefore more likely to oppose any vote to become a republic. The commonwealth is less about a partnership of equals and much more about reminding everyone that hey, you used to be a part of the British EMPIRE remember?? It’s kind of like that old star quarterback of the high school football team showing up at the school all the time to remember the glory days, when the truth is, he’s 40 and balding and has a belly now.
I am confident that H & M can take multiple lengthy holidays every year and still do more royal work than W & K.
Even if the worst outcome came to pass, if H & M reject their royal titles and duties and leave the firm, I bet they will still outperform W & K in charitable endeavours.
Well, I would love them to come here. New York is a great place (where I live) and New Yorkers would so welcome them here. Don’t give it a second thought, guys . Come home, Meghan and bring your adorable, lovely family with you.