Prince Harry regrets royal exit but Meghan Markle ‘couldn’t wait to get away’: expert
Regrets – Prince Harry has had a few.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed to Fox News Digital that the Duke of Sussex, who has been navigating a life across the pond for five years, still has remorse about the events leading up to his royal exit.
"When it comes to regrets, [the Duke and Duchess of Sussex] would be inhuman if they didn't feel slight regrets surrounding how they handled departing the U.K. to pastures new," said Chard.
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"It will be Harry who has pangs of regret as service as part of the British royal family is all that he knew, and he will be missing certain aspects of his past life, namely the military culture and family unity," she shared.
"Prince Harry [also feels] regret that his previous fun and special relationship with Princess Catherine suddenly nosedived," Chard claimed. "This was due to him slighting his family during interviews, the Netflix documentary and his memoir."
"I imagine he felt further regret after hearing Princess Catherine’s cancer diagnosis," Chard added.
As for Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, Chard said the former American actress is more focused on building her lifestyle empire in California than looking back.
"Meghan may wonder about what things could have been, but I believe she doesn't look back, is resolute with her decisions, and has little regret as she is not British," said Chard. "She doesn't have heartfelt ties to the royal family. She couldn't wait to get away!"
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Chard’s claims came shortly after an unnamed friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke to Closer Weekly, claiming the couple was still searching for their "happily ever after" while struggling "to find purpose" in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito. The insider also claimed that the couple’s continued estrangement from the royal family still hurts.
"The world fell in love with the handsome prince and the American actress. That was the fantasy," the pal told the outlet.
"They have tried to pinpoint the moment the public turned on them. The best they could come up with was when they started to speak up for themselves, but the last straw was when Harry left England. It was seen as a betrayal, and he broke his grandmother’s heart. That, along with Harry’s book and the Oprah interview – their fairy tale never recovered."
The family rift first became public in 2020 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California. They cited blistering attacks aimed at the duchess and lack of support from the palace as their reasons for the move.
Since the couple’s royal exit, Harry has focused mainly on the past. The 40-year-old has made millions of dollars by airing his grievances in a wildly successful memoir and a Netflix docuseries.
But sources previously told People magazine that it’s the royal’s desperation to protect his wife and their two children that has deepened his estrangement from his father, King Charles III. Harry and his family were stripped of their security detail when they quit being senior royals.
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Father and son had a positive meeting in February of last year following the king’s cancer diagnosis. However, their communication has since deteriorated. Those close to Harry claimed to the outlet that the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters. Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace for comment at the time.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, claimed to Fox News Digital that there are regrets with the couple’s first tell-all, a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey that was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally.
"They regret the royal racist controversy that they started," Schofield claimed. "Harry tried to blatantly deny that they ever made the allegations while promoting [his memoir] ‘Spare.’ Meanwhile, in their first Netflix series, Meghan expressed her resentment over that being the big takeaway from the Oprah interview instead of her mental health revelations.
"I think at this point they realized that the Oprah interview did not materialize from a positive, organic place," Schofield claimed. "It seemed vengeance-based. Angry. Bitter. Culturally, it happened at an inappropriate time when such big problems were going on in the world – a global plague. And Meghan wanted to complain about titles and tiaras."
Chard said that if the couple were allowed to have a "half-in, half-out" deal as royals, Harry, in particular, would have been happier with the outcome. The palace announced in a statement that the couple were required to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments.
"Allegedly, they tried to force their wishes upon the monarchy in a rather knee-jerk fashion," said Chard. "Perhaps if they allowed more time to discuss all eventualities, there would have been a successful outcome."
"The royal family has a clear vision," she pointed out. "They are close-knit, stand by each other in unity, and just get on with their job. Working royals support the king. They do not distract from the monarchy."
The unnamed source told Closer Weekly that Harry’s estrangement from his father and older brother, Prince William, still hurts him.
"Harry has a few regrets about things he said about his family in his book and interviews," the pal told the outlet. "But at this point, the rift with the royal family is here to stay. There’s no reconciliation in sight."
But Meghan is said to be focused on building a successful brand in California that will allow her family to remain financially independent.
New episodes of her Netflix show, "With Love, Meghan," are premiering in the fall. Her podcast with Lemonada, "Confessions of a Female Founder," will also debut in April. Additionally, products from her brand, As Ever, will be available for purchase this spring.
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"Meghan seems far more level-headed of late," said Chard. "She… seems to have learned that, on the whole, the best response to dealing with backlash is not to respond. If only she had this wisdom before speaking so ill of the royal family. The public would take more kindly to her and have a softer approach to her endeavors."
"I don’t think Meghan has regrets," added royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. "She was ill-suited for royal life. She was suffering from stress, and her preference was her home in California… But the world knows she monetized her royal credentials… as did Harry. After the initial shock of their interview with Oprah, her activities are now being scrutinized far more closely. But regrets? No. She is undoubtedly happy.
"I do think Harry has regrets," Fitzwilliams continued. "Exiles usually do. His father has cancer… He must miss his old friends and also values his military ties… You could argue that, traumatized by his mother’s death, he was unhappy in his role as a royal, which was clear from his memoir. Meghan provided the escape. Some regrets, but not too many, in my view."
The insider claimed to Closer Weekly that the couple believe the struggles they’ve endured have been worth it.
"They’ve questioned some of their decisions many times, but they know in their hearts that they belong together," claimed the pal. "The one thing they love more than anything is their children. When they feel like times are tough and the world is against them, they look at their children and all the doubts just fade away."
Chard remains hopeful for a royal reconciliation.
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"Time is a great healer," said Chard. "There seems to have been a shift in their outlook. We see less of their victimhood playing out. Allegedly, Netflix is renewing their contract and Prince Harry is being offered the opportunity to produce a heartfelt anniversary documentary tribute to his mother. If this comes to fruition, it may in turn bring a reconciliation between the brothers."
"If Meghan doesn’t have any regrets today, she will once Prince William becomes king," warned Schofield. "Deep down, I know he has a soft spot for Harry, but William is ruthless in his contempt for the woman who created so much hurt within his family in such a short amount of time. King William will have no room for Meghan in his orbit."
"People don’t usually remember your failures – the public is eager to move on to the next headline," Schofield insisted. "But if Netflix has shown us anything… Is that expectations are pretty low when it comes to these two. Just hand them a bag of pretzels and you got a show."