Six years after his bombshell departure from royal life, Prince Harry has finally confronted a truth that appears to weigh heavily upon him—his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, deserved far better than to learn of his radical reinvention through social media.
The Duke of Sussex now acknowledges profound regret for how the late monarch learned that she, alongside the entire Royal Family, had been blindsided by the most seismic shift in the institution's modern history.
On that fateful January day in 2020, Harry and Meghan Markle announced their intention to step back as senior working royals via Instagram, shocking not only the global public but also those closest to them within the Palace walls.
The Queen, still reigning and commanding the utmost respect, had not been consulted beforehand—a breach of protocol that reportedly stirred something unsettling within Harry as the years progressed.
According to the Telegraph, the Duke later expressed genuine remorse for having 'blindsided' his grandmother by failing to discuss his seismic life decision with her privately first.
A source revealed to the publication: 'I don't think he fully appreciated the impact the statement would have in terms of them not consulting the Queen. He regrets that.'
The Weight of Regret: Why the Queen's Hurt Still Matters
The revelation speaks to a profound tension at the heart of the Megxit saga—Harry's undeniable affection for Elizabeth II appears to be at odds with the manner in which he made one of the most consequential decisions of his life.
Those close to the Prince describe the knowledge of her hurt as weighing upon him, particularly given the well-documented closeness he shared with the late monarch. Her subsequent statement, released just days after the announcement, carried the unmistakable weight of a grandmother forced into damage control, obliged to publicly navigate a crisis she had neither foreseen nor sanctioned.
What makes this revelation noteworthy is not simply that Harry feels contrition, but that his decision to step back fundamentally altered the trajectory of an institution that predates modern democracy itself.
The Queen was placed in an extraordinarily difficult position: she could not have prevented his departure, yet she bore the responsibility of responding with dignity whilst the world watched. Harry's current acknowledgement of this moral complexity demonstrates a maturity and self-awareness that has, perhaps, only crystallised with distance and time.
Freedom in California: The Life Harry Says He Never Knew He Wanted
Yet even as regret lingers about how his departure unfolded, Harry appears unambiguous about the rightness of the decision itself.
The 41-year-old has repeatedly articulated an almost effervescent gratitude for the existence he has built three thousand miles from Westminster. During a public appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit in December, Harry reflected: 'I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids up here. It's a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live. I feel as though it's the life that my mum wanted for me.'
He elaborated further: 'To be able to do the things I'm able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the UK—it's huge. That is a fantastic opportunity, and I'm hugely grateful for that.' These sentiments, expressed through his controversial Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan (2022) and his unflinching memoir Spare (2023), paint a consistent portrait of a man who has found genuine contentment in the California sunshine.
The New Chapter: From Royalty to Culture Icons
Since relocating to their £11 million Montecito estate in 2020, Harry and Meghan have meticulously constructed an entirely different existence. They are raising Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet away from the constraints and traditions that governed Harry's childhood.
Meghan has re-emerged into the cultural landscape with particular vigour, launching her lifestyle brand, As Ever, in 2025 and releasing two seasons of her streaming series, With Love, Meghan. Harry's memoir achieved global bestseller status, whilst the couple's Netflix output has garnered considerable attention and controversy.
The paradox of Megxit, then, appears to be this: Harry genuinely regrets the manner of his departure, yet shows no meaningful hesitation about the departure itself. The blindsiding of his grandmother remains a stone in his shoe—but California, it seems, remains precisely where he belongs.
