For years, Prince Harry had clung to the hope that he could maintain a role in the British royal family even after stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020. But when Queen Elizabeth II made her definitive announcement in early 2022, it shattered those ambitions once and for all.

With the Queen’s pronouncement that Harry and his wife Meghan Markle would be stripped of their royal patronages and Harry his honorary military titles, the door to Harry’s royal future was slammed shut.

It was the final nail in the coffin for his dreams of a “half-in, half-out” model that would allow him to have one foot in the monarchy and one foot in the outside world.

This move from the Queen left Harry reportedly “devastated”, as it destroyed his last hope of retaining a place in the royal family while living in America with his family. The monarch’s 2022 decision marked the permanent and painful fracturing of the Duke’s ties to the institution he was born into.
The End of Harry’s Royal Ambitions: How the Queen’s 2022 Announcement Destroyed the Duke’s Last Hope of Belonging to the Monarchy

For years, Prince Harry clung to the hope of maintaining a role in the British royal family even after stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020. However, Queen Elizabeth II’s definitive announcement in early 2022 shattered those ambitions once and for all. The Queen’s pronouncement stripped Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, of their royal patronages, and Harry of his honorary military titles. This move effectively slammed the door on Harry’s royal future and was the final nail in the coffin for his dreams of a “half-in, half-out” model, allowing him to straddle both the monarchy and the outside world.

This decision left Harry reportedly devastated, as it destroyed his last hope of retaining a place in the royal family while living in America with his family. The monarch’s 2022 decision marked the permanent and painful fracturing of the Duke’s ties to the institution he was born into.

The Announcement and Its Aftermath

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their bombshell announcement in January 2020 that they would be stepping back as senior working royals, it sent shockwaves through the British establishment. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made clear their intention to become financially independent while also continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen. They sought a progressive new role that would allow them to split their time between the UK and North America and to carve out a progressive new role within the institution.

At the time, many royal watchers were skeptical that such an arrangement could work. After all, the monarchy had always demanded full-time, unwavering loyalty and service from its members. But Harry and Meghan were determined to forge a new path, one that would allow them to retain their royal titles and duties while also enjoying the freedom and privacy of life outside the fishbowl of the palace.

For nearly two years, the couple engaged in protracted negotiations with the Queen and other senior royals to hash out the details of this so-called “half-in, half-out” model. However, behind the scenes, tensions were simmering. Critics accused Harry and Meghan of wanting the best of both worlds—the glamour and prestige of being royals without the boring obligations and relentless media scrutiny.

The Queen’s Final Verdict

In February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II delivered her final verdict. In a strongly worded statement, the palace announced that it was not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service under the terms proposed by the Sussexes. As a result, Harry and Meghan would be stripped of their royal patronages, and Harry would lose his honorary military titles.

This was a devastating blow for the Duke of Sussex. For years, he had clung to the hope that he could find a way to retain a meaningful role within the royal family, even if he was no longer a full-time working royal. The military titles, in particular, had been a huge source of pride for Harry, a former army officer who had served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Losing them was a deep personal wound.

Interviews and news reports at the time suggested that Harry was devastated by the Queen’s decision. It signaled the final destruction of his ambitions to have a foot in both the royal and civilian worlds. The “half-in, half-out” model he and Meghan had envisioned was no longer viable. The door to Harry’s royal future had been firmly closed.

Royal commentators noted that this announcement marked a permanent fracturing of Harry’s ties to the institution he was born into. No longer would he be able to maintain any official role or duties within the monarchy. He and Meghan were now fully on the outside, their royal dreams dashed.

Harry and Meghan’s Response

In the aftermath, Harry and Meghan lashed out, accusing the palace of a lack of transparency and of failing to protect them from “very real threats to our security.” They felt the decision was overly punitive and failed to take into account their desire to continue serving the Queen and Commonwealth.

However, the Queen and her advisers were unswayed. They were determined to send a clear message that there could be no half measures when it came to royal obligations. You were either a full-time working royal, or you were not a royal at all. There could be no cherry-picking of duties and privileges.

A Devastating Blow

For Harry, this was a devastating blow. He had long struggled with the constraints of royal life, feeling trapped and suffocated by the endless duty and protocol. But he had also always taken immense pride in his connection to the monarchy, particularly his military roles. Losing that final link was profoundly painful.

In the years since, Harry has continued to speak out about his strained relationship with the royal family, most notably in his 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and in his tell-all memoir “Spare,” published in 2023.