Meghan Markle, 39, and Prince Harry, 35, stepped down from royal duties in March before moving to LA where they have made plans to become financially independent from the Royal Family. In the Channel 5 documentary titled ‘Edward & Sophie: The Reluctant Royals?’, royal expert Rebecca English explained how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should have followed in the footsteps of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.
Narrator Glynis Barber said: “The Wessexes attempts to live duel workings live have often been compared to those of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who wanted to make a similar arrangement in late 2019.”
Ms English said: “In a way, Sophie and Edward were the Harry and Meghan of their day.
“They had decided that they could support the Queen with a limited amount of royal duties but also pursue lucrative commercial careers of their own.
“I think it should have been a very salutary lesson to Harry and Meghan that when you try to do this it doesn’t actually work.
“When things did go wrong for Sophie and Edward, they didn’t storm out of the country or the Royal Family.
READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘looks terribly unhappy’ in LA as ‘face absolutely dead’
“They decided to just get on with it.”
Royal expert Richard Kay added: “They really gave up that commercial side of their lives without a second glance.
“It really was the opening of a new chapter in their lives.”
It comes as Harry and Meghan paid back the £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money used to renovate Frogmore Cottage.
Last year’s royal accounts showed the cost of the renovations – paid for from taxpayers’ money – was £2.4 million.
Harry and Meghan agreed to pay back the money and start paying commercial rent as part of the plans drawn up when they quit as senior working royals in March.
The couple faced a public backlash when the cost of refurbishing the Grade-II listed property close to Windsor Castle fell to the taxpayer.
The home, which is owned by the Crown Estate, was a gift from Harry’s grandmother the Queen.
