The Megxit Fallout in the words of royal experts

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Catalyst Inc shortly before their wedding in 2018. Image from Wikimedia Commons

The “Megxit” debacle has spread like wildfire the moment the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to step back from being fulltime royals. Royal experts and commentators were quick to point out the why’s and how’s of this fallout and what lies ahead for the royal couple.

"The recklessness shown in his and Meghan’s seismic decision effectively to quit the Royal Family (except, seemingly, when it suits them) and forge their own ‘progressive’ path — while pursuing financial independence — does not speak to me of a balanced or careful strategy, even if they have, as alleged, been ‘plotting’ it for months." – Penny Junor, Prince Harry’s biographer

"We are moving into uncharted territories that I believe will create more problems as the press coverage will not get better.  It will get worse as Harry will be seen as abandoning his family, the duty to the Crown as he is after all a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .  It is far easier for the Duchess to walk away from a royal life.  She knows how to live in the real world. I am truly saddened by the decision because I believed that Meghan has all the right stuff: smarts, compassion, concern, empathy.  It must be admitted that the royal life is not for everyone.  This does not make Meghan a failure." – Marlene Eilers Koenig, royal historian

Prince Harry may well find that his step into the unknown does not bring him happiness he craves. The media are unlikely to leave him in peace. Inevitably, they will scrutinise every move the couple make, examine their new methods of funding, and the people who surround them. 

- Hugo Vickers on The Sunday Post

"You would think that Harry would know that you can’t just go off and make decisions without taking advice. For them to have cooked this up all by themselves – I think is a real violation of the way the royal family is supposed to operate." -  Sally Bedell Smith told USA Today  

"If they are hoping to build a new life that trades on royalty without fulfilling the more difficult obligations that come with it, which is reliant on a toxic mirage of fame without worth, not that many years down the line they could be looking at a very different picture." -   Alexandra Shullman, The Mail On Sunday

"If Harry insists on departing these shores without the Queen's permission, he may face a permanent exile along the lines of the Duke of Windsor's after the 1936 abdication." - Christopher Wilson, The Express

To go off half-cocked as he and Meghan  did is unacceptable. The question is how dare they do that. She signed up for this. 

- Dickie Arbiter, former Spokesperson to The Queen and royal commentator, told The Sun

"Even if you aren't a damaged and delicate person like Harry, few people would be able to cope with the sudden estrangement of their entire family and transfer to the alien landscape of what Meghan describes as 'Canada' and I call 'Los Angeles'." - Camilla Long, The Sunday Times

"Here is a man who every day has to live out the trauma that he experienced as a little boy when he had to walk behind her coffin at the age of 12 in front of the world, and I think if any of us were put in that situation we would find it incredibly triggering." - Bryony Gordon, The Telegraph

It is going to be difficult if Harry and Meghan are going to live in Canada for a certain period of time and try and get on with business and be normal, charitable CEOs. They will require security because I don't see the media interest in them waning, I see it as probably increasing, because what they're doing is so unprecedented for royals. 

-  Royal historian Kate Williams during BBC Breakfast.

"To suggest that they're not already financially independent is incredibly crass and belies a sense of self-entitlement and a lack of self-awareness that is common among royals. This really is wanting to have your cake and eat it. They have said they will dip in and out of royal duties as it suits them but won't stop taking public money until they find other sources of income." - Graham Smith, a spokesman for Republic

It appears that royal experts and commentators were divided in their opinion about the couple's decision to step back from their royal duties and to spend half their time in North America. Let's wait and see how will Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles deal with this issue. For sure, they know what to do when