More than six years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals, fresh claims are shedding light on what the couple reportedly hoped to achieve during the tense negotiations that led to "Megxit."
According to new reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not initially envision a complete break from the royal family. Instead, they are said to have explored a model that would have allowed them to continue supporting the monarchy while building independent careers outside the institution.
The arrangement, often described by royal commentators as a "half-in, half-out" role, was ultimately rejected by Buckingham Palace, leading to the couple's departure from frontline royal duties in 2020.
The renewed interest in the negotiations comes as reports suggest Harry, Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, could visit the United Kingdom in the coming months, reigniting discussion about the events that reshaped the modern royal family.
The latest claims suggest the Sussexes hoped to strike a balance between royal responsibilities and personal independence.
Rather than abandoning royal life entirely, they reportedly wanted the flexibility to represent the Crown on selected occasions while pursuing commercial opportunities and spending part of their time outside Britain.
At the time, supporters argued that such an arrangement could modernise the monarchy and give younger royals greater freedom. Critics, however, questioned whether members of the royal family could simultaneously act as public servants and pursue private business interests.
The proposal was eventually ruled out, with Queen Elizabeth II making clear that working members of the royal family could not combine official duties with independent commercial ventures.
The outcome of the negotiations transformed the trajectory of Harry and Meghan's lives.
After stepping back from royal duties, the couple relocated to North America before settling in California, where they launched a series of media, charitable and business projects under their Archewell brand.
Their departure also marked one of the most significant constitutional and family challenges faced by the monarchy during Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
The term "Megxit" quickly entered public vocabulary and became one of the defining royal stories of the decade.
The latest revelations arrive at a time when speculation about Harry's future relationship with the royal family remains intense.
While there is no indication that the Sussexes will return as working royals, reports of a potential UK visit have renewed public interest in whether relations between the two sides can improve after years of public disagreements and personal tensions.
For royal watchers, the new claims offer a glimpse into a pivotal moment in modern royal history — one that continues to influence both the monarchy and the Sussexes years after the original decision was made.
As debate continues over what might have happened had a compromise been reached, one thing remains clear: the negotiations that led to Megxit continue to shape discussions about the future of the royal family.