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After an entire lifetime behind the golden gate of the British royal family, Prince Harry has decided to strike out on his own. Following two years of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex being bullied and harassed in the British tabloids and press, the Sussexes have decided to resign as senior working royals for a more peaceful life.

Though Megxit was a shock within itself, many fans were stunned when they learned that Meghan and Harry had decided to move to Los Angeles, California to launch their new project Archewell while seeking financial independence away from the royal family.’

Aside from King Edward VII’s abdication in 1936, nothing like this has been seen from the royal family in modern times. However, it could be argued that Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana began preparing him for a royal exit and a normal life at a very early age.

Princess Diana wanted her sons to have a normal life

When Princess Diana married Prince Charles in 1981, she had no idea what she was getting into. At 19, she hadn’t had many experiences, and being center stage in the royal family was too much of a burden to bear. Following their separation and divorce in the ’90s, the princess often talked about the complete circus of royal life.

When she had Prince William and Prince Harry, the princess was determined to give her sons normal experiences. She insisted that they attend public school outside of the palace. She also took her boys on adventures to places like Disney World and McDonald’s. The trio also went on vacations that were outside of royal tours. “But it was brilliant, because … we all really warmed to her,” Daisy Goodwin, the author of My Last Duchess told ABC News. “Because no woman wants to leave her baby, and that was what made Diana so lovable — that she always absolutely adored her children.”

The princess was also adamant about exposing her boys to people who were less fortunate, something both the princes’ have taken to heart today. “Well, with William and Harry, for instance, I take them round homelessness projects,” she told BBC in 1995. “I’ve taken William and Harry to people dying of AIDS – albeit I told them it was cancer – I’ve taken the children to all sorts of areas where I’m not sure anyone of that age in this family has been before. And they have a knowledge – they may never use it, but the seed is there, and I hope it will grow because knowledge is power.”

Princess Diana wasn’t afraid to tell the press her side of the story

Amid their exit, the Sussexes have been adamant about telling the press their side of the story. That has included suing over their privacy and the highly anticipated release of their new tell-all book, Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, written by royal insiders Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie.

The princess was also adamant about using her voice and sharing her journey. It’s something that Prince Harry and Prince William disagree on.” [William] thinks that yes, their mother did have a very hard time, but also she made a mistake in allowing the press in and he just is absolutely adamant that that shouldn’t happen and he thinks that sometimes his brother is too open and then tries to close up, and that doesn’t work,” ITV anchor Tom Bradby explained to Good Morning America.

Princess Diana may have inspired Prince Harry to carve out his own path

Following her divorce from Prince Charles, Princess Diana was determined to live life on her own terms. That included ditching her bodyguards except for high profile appearances. “Over the next few months, I will be seeking a more suitable way of combining a meaningful public role with, hopefully, a more private life,” she said in 1993 at a benefit lunch for the Headway National Injuries Association.

For his part, Prince Harry seems determined to live a life without millions of voices interfering. “You forget, I was in the military for ten years so I’m more normal than my family would like to believe,” he explained during 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. Oh no, I think it’s much better.”

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