Prince Harry wanted to leave the royal family a year before he even met Meghan Markle
A royal reporter has revealed the vulnerable confession Prince Harry once made to her which changes everything you think you know about his relationship with Meghan Markle.
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Prince Harry confessed to a reporter he would “love to move away” from the royal family a full year before he even met Meghan Markle.
Sky News UK’s royal correspondent, Rhiannon Mills, made the stunning revelation when she appeared on an episode of The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show on Thursday.
Ms Mills spent time both on and off camera with the Duke of Sussex when he toured New Zealand in 2015.
“I said to him, ‘Have you ever thought about moving away?’” Ms Mills said of a time when the cameras were not rolling on Harry.
“He was like, ‘Yes, I’d love to. I’d love to move away. But I can’t because of what I need to do to support the Queen’.”
Ms Mills said his comment “stuck with” her, especially given how the pair’s departure from Britain played out.
“So whenever anyone says to me, that it was Meghan’s fault they left, that conversation always springs to mind because he always had it in him – this potential to jump,” Ms mills said.
“I think Meghan came along and said, ‘Hold my hand and we’ll jump together’.”
Harry did not meet Meghan until the following year in 2016 when they began dating.
MEGHAN’S LIFESTYLE BRAND SUFFERS ANOTHER SETBACK
The Duchess of Sussex has asked US authorities for more time to get her lifestyle brand off the ground.
Meghan Markle’s legal team has asked US authorities for an extension to address errors to her application to secure a trademark for her American Riviera Orchard brand.
The trademark application for Meghan’s jams and homemade goods was rejected in August due to issues with the filing.
The royal was then given three months to address issues, including several errors, with the application.
According to the Daily Mail, Meghan has asked for another three months to get the application right.
If the new deadline is missed, the trademark process will need to be started again.
In March, the Meghan’s legal team applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office for legal protection to exclusively trade using the name American Riviera Orchard.
US government experts, who poured over the documents for weeks, listed a raft of grounds for rejecting the trademark application.
The most glaring error noted in the original filed documents was the absence of a signature.
In addition to filing unverified documents, Meghan was also required to pay an additional $A1040 to cover a shortfall in the payment sent to cover the application fee.
In another blow, another firm owning the trademark ‘Royal Riviera’ also challenged Meghan’s application.
Official papers said: “The owner, Harry & David, is an American institution, founded in 1934, with annual sales of £1.7 billion ($A3.3 billion) and 3300 staff.”
It added that the protest was “deemed relevant” due to “likelihood of confusion” and has been referred to the US patent office legal team.
Meghan’s legal team has been informed exclusive rights to American Riviera cannot be granted because it is a commonly used place name to describe the California coast where the Sussexes live.
A source close to the Sussexes reportedly told the Daily Mail in August that some back and forth with the US patent and trademark office was “routine and expected when filing for trademarks” and that they believed Meghan would be filing a response with the office soon.
This is the second time the Duchess of Sussex has suffered a trademark blow.
In August 2023, the bid to get the Archewell podcast trademarked was abandoned by the Sussexes after the USPTO found that a self-help blog by the same name had already made a successful application.
The Sussexes have also reportedly ‘struggled’ to find a CEO for American Riviera, although sources insist Meghan is happy running the business herself.
The latest blow comes as reports surface that the duchess is also having to deal with a constant revolving door of staff.
BECKHAM CAREER MOVE LEAVES MEGHAN ‘FURIOUS’
Posh and Meghan are no longer on speaking terms, with the pair’s former friendship ruined by jealousy, according to reports.
The long-running feud between the Sussexes and the Beckhams has been well-documented and Meghan is now said to be “furious” over Victoria Beckham’s announcement of an upcoming Netflix show.
Victoria’s new yet-to-be-released Netflix series, which comes after husband David’s blockbuster series about his rise to fame, will examine her fashion and beauty business.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital that the ending of Meghan and Victoria’s friendship most likely came down to jealousy.
“Ultimately, I believe it was envy that caused the fallout,” the host of the To Di For Daily podcast said.
“We certainly have examples of Meghan accusing Victoria of leaking stories to the press when it was actually a salon receptionist with a pair of loose lips, but I think it all boils down to jealousy today.”
The royal expert described powerhouse Victoria, who attended the Sussexes’ wedding alongside David in 2018, as “the antithesis” of Meghan.
“Victoria is creative, forward-thinking, hardworking, she executes, she hustles in silence,” she said.
“Victoria pursues advice from people she considers smarter than she is, and she implements it.
“Victoria and her husband are wealthy, and their star continues to rise while Harry and Meghan’s is falling.
“David and Victoria didn’t sign a contract with Netflix because they were desperate for the money … which Prince Harry alluded to in his Oprah interview.
“They signed a deal with Netflix to strategically control the narrative and continue to develop a sellable brand.”
Schofied said many of Meghan’s much-hyped products, such as her lifestyle brand, had not yet come to fruition.
“When Meghan does manage to create something … people are critical because they have lost faith in the Harry and Meghan brand due to their negativity and dishonesty.”
Meanwhile, a new documentary about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is set to lift the lid on the dramatic fallout of the Megxit crisis.
Directed by German filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald, the new documentary takes viewers to California’s Montecito to examine the Sussexes’ life in exile.
It also looks at the huge shifts and changes within the royal family since the pair stepped down from royal life in 2020.
The film, titled Harry – The Lost Prince, is Germany’s first major documentary on the subject and will air on December 3.
The Sussexes have proved to be hugely popular in Germany after visiting the nation in September 2023 when they hosted the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.
It comes amid confirmation that Harry’s lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper will go to trial in early 2026.
The royal is one of seven claimants, including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, who are suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of voicemail interception and other serious privacy breaches.
WILLIAM REVEALS LOUIS’ EAR-SPLITTING HOBBY
Prince William has given insight into youngest son’s favourite new hobby as the future king met with rock legends at the Tusk Conservation Awards.
The royal gave a short speech at the event, held at London’s Savoy Hotel, which honoured African conservationists.
In a short speech, William hailed this year’s winners for their “unwavering dedication to protect Africa’s natural world” in the face of multiple challenges.
“Tonight is a reminder that our planet continues to face terrifying environmental concerns from climate change and habitat destruction to the exploitation of natural resources and an alarming downward trend in global biodiversity,” he said.
Earlier he chatted with Rolling Stones icon Ronnie Wood and Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler.
William said there “is a lot of creativity here” and joked they had enough to start a band.
He then remarked on youngest son Prince Louis, revealing the six-year-old was learning how to play the drums.
“My youngest is learning the drums that’s why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears,” William joked.
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Originally published as Prince Harry wanted to leave the royal family a year before he even met Meghan Markle
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