Expert Claims Meghan Markle Felt Like She Was ‘a Civil Servant In a Tiara’ During Her Time as a Royal

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex may have had a different idea of what her life in the royal family would really be like, as a royal expert claims that Meghan found the position to be “unglamorous.” Meghan also was believed to have struggled with the need to be politically neutral in her royal position.

Prince Harry and Meghan exited the royal family

In January, Prince Harry and Meghan had a surprising announcement — they planned to take a step back from their royal duties so they could live a more normal life out of the spotlight. When Queen Elizabeth sorted the details of the Sussexes’ proposed plan, it was decided that their royal duties would officially end on March 31.

In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan addressed how the media scrutiny was taking a toll on them, with Meghan noting in the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey that she believed there would be more fairness in the process.

“I’ve really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip. I’ve tried, I’ve really tried. I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging,” she explained. “The biggest thing that I know is that I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair and that’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile.”

The Sussexes had the queen’s full support, as she shared in a statement about their exit plan. “I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life,” her statement explained. “It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”

Did Meghan have unrealistic expectations about her role?

The media scrutiny surrounding the Sussexes and Prince Harry’s concern for his wife and son’s safety appeared to be the driving forces for their exit decision, though royal commentator Ashley Pearson believes there were other factors in the mix as well.

Pearson shared with Market Watch earlier this year that she felt Meghan pushed for the exit plan because there were elements of her royal role that she didn’t enjoy.  

“She had no idea how un-glamorous it really is to be a royal and, when she found out she would be a civil servant in a tiara she was, like, ‘No way,’” Pearson explained. 

Was the need to be politically neutral a factor?

It’s also believed that Meghan didn’t like the expectation to be politically neutral, with writer Tom McTague sharing in The Atlantic, “Another problem the pair appear not to understand is their desire to be progressive — but seemingly without the controversy and criticism that comes from taking a stance on issues of public debate.”

“At heart, it’s unclear whether Harry and Meghan realize being progressive is not an apolitical act,” McTague noted. “Climate change is not apolitical. Even mental health is not apolitical. These issues, which the couple have voiced their opinion on, come with real, important and political questions attached.”

BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond supported that idea when he shared how Meghan “said she didn’t want to become a voiceless figurehead.”