Meghan and Prince Harry toured England in mid-March to complete a series of engagements as senior royals. Their last public duty as full-time working royals was to attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
But the Duchess of Sussex also carried out a private engagement after the service, inviting to Buckingham Palace a small group of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) scholars.
One of the journalists invited to the private event, taking place behind closed doors in the iconic 1844 Room, recalled what he saw after she delivered her speech as patron of the ACU.
The journalist, Omid Scobie, who co-authored the biography Finding Freedom, said the Duchess spoke individually to members of her staff as a final goodbye.
Mr Scobie also claimed she hugged him before uttering a few words which let transpire her feelings about what was to come as a consequence of Megxit.
Recalling the day, Mr Scobie later said: “Staff who had been with the couple from day one were mourning the end of what was supposed to be a happy story: two people fall in love, get married, have a baby, serve the Queen, the end.
“Instead, they were leaving the country.
“As Meghan gave me a final hug goodbye, she said, ‘It didn’t have to be this way’.”
The Duchess of Sussex also expressed her feelings with a member of the staff, Mr Scobie recalled in the book he wrote with royal reporter Carolyn Durand.
He said: “With the state room almost empty except for a few familiar faces, the tears the Duchess has been holding back were free to flow.”
He added: “‘I can’t believe this’, she said, hugging one of the young female aides she had become close with.
“Though Team Sussex was a much smaller operation than the more sophisticated offices at Clarence House and Kensington Palace, in the short space of a year since setting up, they had become like family.”
READ MORE: Royal Family told to stop giving out ‘meaningless’ HRH titles – VIDEO
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since relocated to North America, where they have now established their lives.
In two-months time, Prince Harry is expected to reconvene with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William to discuss the end of the Megxit’s 12-month transition period and possibly re-negotiate terms of the deal.
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8am update: Meghan Markle & Harry ‘to be told to follow Eugenie & Bea’s example’ during Megxit review
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be advised to give up their titles on certain occasions during the upcoming Megxit review, according to an expert.
Meghan and Prince Harry are to reconvene in March with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William over the so-called Megxit deal struck in January last year. During this review, both parts are expected to discuss terms of the Sussexes’ exit they are unhappy with.
One royal historian doesn’t expect the royals to make any changes to the deal already in place.
She also does not believe the Queen would strip Meghan and Harry of their titles.
However, she believes it could be possible for the monarch to suggest the Duke and Duchess to go by Harry Sussex and Meghan Sussex whenever they are dealing with initiatives and work that isn’t related to the Royal Family.
US royal expert Marlene Koenig told Express.co.uk: “I’d be very surprised if the Queen were to issue a letter patent to remove their titles.
“What I can see is a recommendation that they don’t use Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their career.
“Beatrice and Eugenie use Beatrice York and Eugenie York in business.
“When Prince Edward created Ardent back in the 1990s used Edward Windsor.
“There are precedents for styling their names in this way.”
