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In an unprecedented move, Prince Harry has left the British royal family after a lifetime of service for a new life in Los Angeles, California. When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced they were leaving the British royal family, many people were absolutely stunned. After all, though the duke had had some tumultuous moments during his teens and 20’s, he’d emerged as one of the most beloved members of the British royal family. “The love this country has for him has never stopped,” royal photographer Arthur Edwards explained to The Sun. “As far as the nation is concerned he is still their number one member of the Royal Family.”

Still, when he wed, the Duchess of Sussex, a mix-race American woman who had a career in Hollywood and had previously been married, the duke was thrust into the spotlight in a way that he never had to endure before. Though sentiments about Prince Harry generally remained favorable, the duchess was labeled a golddigger, usurper, and everything in between.

Now, the pair has decided to seek a life that is completely independent of the royals. While most royal experts seem apprehensive about this move to LA, there is one royal source who believes this is the best decision Prince Harry has ever made.

Prince Harry will be able to define his life for himself

In the years since the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, Prince Harry has spoken openly about the toll that living in the spotlight has taken on him. Certainly, with the obsessive scrutiny and hurt thrown at his wife, it’s made things even more challenging. Outside of the British royal family, the duke will be able to speak up for himself in a way that he never has previously.

 “The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly,” he said during a speech at a dinner for his charity, Sentebale. “It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always got it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”

The duke has also spoken about the freedom that he will gain as a result of Megxit. “You forget, I was in the military for ten years so I’m more normal than my family would like to believe,” the prince reportedly said in a leaked phone call. “But certainly being in a different position now gives us the ability to say things and do things that we might not have been able to do. And seeing as everyone under the age of 35 or 36 seems to be carrying out an activist’s role, gives us the opportunity to try and make more of a difference without being criticized (chuckles). I think it’s much better.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are carving out a new path for members of the royal family

For generations, members of the British royal family have been forced to adhere to tradition, even at the expense of their personal happiness. Though many like Queen Elizabeth II have gracefully accepted this fate, it’s certainly not a life anyone would choose. The Sussexes are proving that there is another path.

“They’re going to show us all a different way in which royal family members can live,” Jeetendra Sehdev the author of The Kim Kardashian Principe told The Guardian. “The closest comparison to Meghan and Harry will be the Obamas and what they’re actually doing, I mean they’ve created an entertainment entity where they’re producing documentaries and I think that will be a similar route that Meghan and Harry can certainly take. Letting people into who they are – because at the moment we don’t really know who Meghan and Harry are. We just know that they’re part of the royal family.”

Prince Harry’s move to LA might be the best thing for him

Though many of us are uncertain about the Sussexes move to LA, British aristocrat, Lady Julie Montagu believes this is the best decision the duke could have made.

“I feel like he has found somebody that he can be emotionally open with and I think that’s a really good thing… Family becomes the most important thing,” she explained to Town & Country. “I always say whenever you meet an American, you know their life story within 24 hours… We’re very emotionally open, which I think for Harry is actually a really good thing. He’ll be able to talk about his feelings, probably more than he was able to talk about over here. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to hear a little bit more about how he feels about losing his mother at age 12, and maybe how he and Megan were treated in the press over here.”

Doing something different doesn’t always mean it’s doing something wrong.

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