On 8 January 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced on Instagram their decision to "step back as 'senior' members" of the British royal family, split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, become financially independent, and only represent the monarchy on a reduced basis. The decision was dubbed Megxit, a portmanteau of the words "Meghan" and "exit" and a play on the term Brexit. The term was adopted globally on mainstream and social media, spawning various Internet memes and "Megxit" merchandising. Harry has regarded "Megxit" as a misogynistic term aimed at Meghan.
The announcement of their decision led to a meeting of the royal family on 13 January, dubbed the "Sandringham Summit" and described as "unprecedented". Queen Elizabeth II issued a rare personal statement on her family, and was praised for her rapid handling of the matter. On 18 January, an agreement was announced whereby the couple, while still valued members, would "no longer be working members of Britain's royal family", and would not use their "Royal Highness" styles.
The outcome was described as a "hard Megxit", as their offer of occasional work for the monarchy was refused. Collins English Dictionary added "Megxit" to its online edition as a top-ten Word of 2020. A twelve-month review period was allowed in case the couple changed their minds. On 19 February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess would relinquish their royal patronages, as they were not returning as working members of the royal family. The couple's announcement of their decision came to signify the break by the couple from the royal family and its protocol, and their plans for independence under their new brand, then tentatively named Sussex Royal.
In August 2026, however, the couple were reported to be relocating to the UK with their children for an extended period, with Archie and Lilibet set to attend school there from September. It was reported that there were no plans for them to resume public duties as working members of the royal family, a position that was subsequently reaffirmed by King Charles III in a letter circulated by the Lord Chamberlain following their return to the UK.
Etymology
Megxit is a play on the term Brexit and refers to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stepping back as members of the British royal family. It derives from Meg(han) + (e)xit, influenced by Brexit, which was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union at the end of January 2020. Collins English Dictionary included "Megxit" as one of its ten "Words of 2020", and listed it in the online edition of the dictionary: Collins told The Times: "It immediately caught on due to its echoes of 'Brexit'". The use of Meghan's name has been taken in some quarters as identifying her as the instigator of the withdrawal.
Naming
The British tabloid newspaper The Sun is credited with the first headline use of "Megxit" on 9 January 2020. BBC News commented that "Sussexit" was trending on social media, but it did not reach the level of use achieved by "Megxit" in mainstream media. Alternative terms appeared but did not catch on to the same degree. By 15 January, the term had become sufficiently widespread that The Times reported: "Megxit turns into a moneyspinner" for merchandisers who had made clothing and souvenirs using the term. The New York Times wrote that the parallels between "Megxit" and Brexit were greater than "clever wordplay", and that the two terms involved similar divisions in British public opinion between "young liberals" (who supported the couple and supported staying in the EU), and "older conservatives" (who supported the Queen and supported leaving the EU).
On 19 January, in reviewing the final agreement, The Guardian argued that "stepping back" was no longer appropriate, although the couple had also not "resigned" or "abdicated" from the royal family. When reviewing the media reaction to the final agreement, BBC News said "there are no winners as a result of what many of the front pages are calling "Megxit" – the exit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as front-line royals". BBC News, and other British news media, described the final agreement as a "hard Megxit", in a further wordplay on the political term, hard Brexit. On 28 January, the term had become sufficiently pervasive that the Financial Times, in its FT Advisor supplement, ran a piece for taxation professionals titled, "What if your client wants to do a 'Megxit'?", while Vanity Fair reported on actor Brad Pitt's "Megxit joke" at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. The outlet had previously reported on an analysis by the social data analytics firm Brandwatch, which concluded that the term "Megxit" had been in use on Twitter since at least early 2019 and was used in negative comments aimed at Meghan. Sky News reported that the term was being used by trolls on the Internet back in April 2019. In November 2021, in a panel at Wired's Re:Wired Conference, Harry stated that "the term Megxit was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll."
Motivations
In October 2019, a source close to the couple spoke to People, stating that they could establish a second base in the U.S., Canada or Africa to escape tabloid scrutiny. Immediately after the announcement in January 2020, in which they said they were aiming to become financially independent, journalist Tom Bradby claimed that the Sussexes were told during their six-week Christmas break (which turned into a four-month stay) at Vancouver Island in Canada that they would not be part of a proposed "slimmed down monarchy". Other concerns raised included perceived ongoing hostile treatment by some in the British tabloid press and alleged issues of racism towards Meghan. The Guardian reported that Prince Harry appeared to "lay the blame at the feet of the press". In a March 2021 television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan said Megxit was caused by them not getting the help they sought from the royal establishment on issues such as refuting false tabloid stories about Meghan and getting her mental health help. Harry also indicated members of his family closest to the royal institution are trapped – British constitutional scholar Robert Hazell agrees, and argues that the institution requires a very significant loss of human rights from some of its members.
In their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Meghan suggested that the couple wanted to move to another country where they would not be bothered by the Royal Rota. In 2018, they considered moving to New Zealand, followed by another plan to move to South Africa in 2019, the latter of which, despite being approved by the royal family, was "scrapped" according to Harry after details of it were published by The Times in April 2019. By December 2019, Harry and Meghan were in negotiations with his father, Charles, about moving to Canada: "By the time I was speaking to my father from Canada, the family and their people knew that we were trying to find a different way of working for a minimum of two years," suggesting that they had intended to leave even before their wedding.
Dan Wootton has been credited with breaking the story about Megxit and Harry and Meghan's initial plans for moving to Canada in The Sun on 8 January 2020, which prompted the couple to issue an announcement within hours, confirming their plans for stepping back from their royal duties. Wootton stated that he had been in contact with the couple's spokesperson on 28 December and gave them a ten days' notice before the story broke out, despite facing pressure from royal officials not to run the piece. Sources close to the couple later spoke to The New York Times, stating that they "felt forced to disclose their plans prematurely" as they learned about The Sun's intentions to publish the story. Wootton said, "They released the statement after we had published the story and had so much notice."
The agreement
The Times speculated as to whether the "Sandringham Summit" would result in a "Hard Megxit" or a "Soft Megxit". After the meeting, the Queen issued a first-person statement, concluding that there was agreement to "a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK". After just under four months in Canada, Harry and Meghan moved with their son Archie to the United States, where their daughter Lilibet was born in 2021.
Final agreement
The 'Megxit' statement gave a "Spring 2020" deadline for completion of the agreement, specific known details are as follows:
Main details
- The couple will no longer represent the monarch. This was in contrast to the couple's earlier statement on their sussexroyal.com website that they would carry out future duties for the Queen.
- They will retain the Royal Highness style but will not use it.
- They will be financially independent of the British exchequer (and will repay the £2.4 million renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage);
- Harry would cease duties for all British military appointments (including Captain General Royal Marines), and would no longer officially represent the royal family at military ceremonies.
Other details
- The couple will spend most of their time in North America.
- Frogmore Cottage would continue to function as their British home, but they would pay a "commercial rent" for it.
- The couple would retain their private patronages and associations (e.g. Invictus Games), but not royal ones (e.g. Commonwealth Youth Ambassador).
Items not included
- The couple's security arrangements were unclear, with the Queen's statement commenting only that "There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security."
- It was not clear whether the "Sussex Royal" brand could be used.
Further developments
2020
The Times reported Meghan had signed a voiceover deal with Disney, saying that "The arrangement offers a hint of the couple's future life, using their celebrity status to benefit their chosen causes". Business Insider, speaking to various brand experts, reported: "Megxit, how Harry and Meghan could build a billion-dollar brand".
On 19 January 2020, it was reported that Prince Charles would provide the couple with "private financial support" (but not funds from the Duchy of Cornwall), for a full year to give the couple time to establish themselves, and to address fears of the increased costs of their proposed new lifestyle. Later, Harry claimed that security protection and financial support had been cut off by the royal family in "the first quarter" of 2020 and he was able to provide for the family through the money he inherited from his mother, who left him £6.5 million which was invested and gathered substantial interest, and an estimated £10 million was given to Harry on his 30th birthday. During a Clarence House briefing on finances preceding the annual Sovereign Grant report, a spokesperson stated that Charles "allocated a substantial sum" to support the Duke and Duchess until the summer of 2020. Representatives for the couple responded that Harry's statements were "in reference to the first quarter of the fiscal reporting period" which begins in April.
On 21 January 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again refused to say who would be picking up the security cost tab upon Harry's reported return to Canada that same day. Separately, The Canadian Press confirmed that Harry, Meghan, and Archie were staying at a rented house north of Victoria, British Columbia.
On 14 February 2020, it was reported that the couple had decided to close their office at Buckingham Palace.
On 19 February 2020, the announcement was made that the couple would continue undertaking royal duties until 31 March, after which they would step back and no longer undertake engagements on behalf of the Queen. The couple would continue engagements on behalf of organisations they were involved with, including the 2020 London Marathon in April and the Invictus Games in May (although the latter two events were postponed for October 2020 and 2021 respectively due to the COVID-19 pandemic). They would cease using their HRH titles, while the Duke would retain his military ranks, but see the honorary military positions he holds suspended. The situation would then be reviewed after twelve months, in March 2021. Additionally, the couple's attempt to make use of the word "Royal" as part of their planned "Sussex Royal" brand venture was put under review, with an announcement to be made at the planned organisation's official launch.
On 21 February 2020, the couple confirmed they would not use the "Sussex Royal" brand "in any territory" following their withdrawal from public life in spring 2020 and all applications filed for trademarking the name were removed. A spokesperson for the couple added that they would continue to work with their existing patronages in addition to establishing a non-profit organisation.
On 27 February 2020, Bill Blair, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness issued a statement saying "As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis. At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada." The statement went on to say that Canada would cease providing security for the couple on 31 March, "in keeping with their change in status." In the same announcement, it was confirmed the RCMP had provided security for the couple on an as-needed basis, since their arrival to Canada in November 2019. During their five-month stay on Vancouver Island, Harry and Meghan were protected by the Metropolitan Police and the RCMP, at a cost to Canadian taxpayers of over $90,000(CAD) in overtime and expenses: RCMP officers' salaries were not included. In February 2020 and after their exit from the monarchy was negotiated, the term Internationally Protected People was removed from their website.