The events that led to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down

Thursday, 9 January 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first met back in 2016.

Prince Harry and Meghan are to officially 'step back' as senior members of the royal family, shocking many.

But royal watchers have long suspected it was coming, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex started cutting ties well before their bombshell Instagram announcement.

From their royal wedding to the birth of baby Archie, here are the significant events in the couple's story that have led to the decision.

Prince Harry and Meghan married in May 2018.

* No scandals, no plots, no faults. Harry and Meghan are just not suited to public life

* Was the Queen dropping hints about Harry and Meghan's departure in her Christmas Day speech?**

Prince Harry and Meghan attend a wheelchair tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto.

July 2016: Prince Harry and Meghan first meet

A mutual friend sets them up on a blind date in London. Prince Harry later tells the BBC he had never heard of the Suits actress, while Meghan says she 'didn't know much' about the royal, being from the US. Just a few weeks after their first meeting, Harry invites Meghan to join him on a trip to Botswana, where they spend five days together.

October 2016: Their relationship is made public

Meghan Markle shuttered her lifestyle blog, The Tig, in April 2017.

UK tabloid the Sunday Express reveals Prince Harry is dating the 35-year-old actress, reporting she has made several visits to London and had 'discreet dinners' with the royal and his friends.

November 2016: Prince Harry confirms the relationship

In an unprecedented public statement, Prince Harry confirms his relationship with Meghan and condemns the 'wave of abuse and harassment' she has been subjected to in the media and online. He says he is worried about her safety and 'deeply disappointed' he has not been able to protect her.

Prince Harry and Meghan pose for their official engagement photo.

April 2017: Meghan shuts down her website

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand at the altar during their wedding in St George's Chapel.

Meghan announces it's 'time to say goodbye' to her lifestyle blog The Tig, three years after launching the passion project.

September 2017: Meghan opens up about Prince Harry

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan speaks candidly about her relationship, referring to Prince Harry as her 'boyfriend'. 'We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time,' she says in the cover story. 'But we're happy. Personally, I love a great love story.'

The Cambridges and Sussexes were once dubbed the 'Fab Four' by the press.

November 2017: The couple announce their engagement

On November 27, Clarence House issues a statement saying Prince Harry and Meghan are to marry, after getting engaged earlier that month. The producers of Suits also issue a statement confirming the actress will depart from the legal drama at the end of its seventh season.

May 2018: The royal wedding

On May 19, Prince Harry and Meghan wed at Windsor Castle in a ceremony attended by a number of celebrity guests. Meghan's father Thomas Markle does not attend the wedding, citing poor health, after weeks of tabloid attention. Prince Charles walks Meghan down the aisle. The newlyweds are given the title the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

October 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan announce pregnancy

Prince Harry and Meghan pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Upon landing in Australia for their first official royal tour as a couple, Kensington Palace announces the couple are expecting their first child.

November 2018: The couple announce they are moving out

Kensington Palace issues a statement revealing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will leave their residence, Nottingham Cottage, and move into Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. The news comes as a surprise — it had been assumed that the couple would move into a newly-available apartment next door to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

March 2019: They get their own household

Palace officials release a statement saying the Queen has agreed to the creation of a new household based at Buckingham Palace for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in what is seen as a further attempt to break away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The move also means they'll form an entirely separate communications team.

April 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan open Instagram account

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launch their own Instagram account, no longer sharing the Kensington Palace account that also covers the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's activities.

Prince Harry and Meghan pictured in Johannesburg, South Africa.

May 2019: Meghan gives birth

On May 6, Meghan gives birth to Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

June 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan depart from charity

Prince Harry holds baby Archie while on holiday in Canada.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce they are splitting from the Royal Foundation they jointly patron with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in favour of setting up their own charitable foundation.

September 2019: The family head to Africa

Prince Harry, Meghan and four-month-old Archie embark on a royal tour of southern Africa, their first as a family.

October 2019: Prince Harry issues statement

Prince Harry issues another extraordinary statement targeting the British tabloid press for their 'ruthless' treatment of Meghan. 'I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long,' he says. The statement comes after the couple launched legal action against the Mail on Sunday for publishing a private letter Meghan wrote.

October 2019: Controversial documentary released

British broadcaster ITV airs the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. Filmed during the couple's tour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex speak candidly to journalist Tom Bradby about how they balance their public duties and private life under media scrutiny. Clips of an emotional Meghan go viral, while senior royals are said to be unhappy with the couple's decision to divulge personal information in the documentary.

November 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan take a break

The couple begin a six-week sabbatical to enjoy some 'family time'. They reportedly celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.

December 2019: The couple spend Christmas in Canada

Prince Harry and Meghan break tradition by ditching the Queen's traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham Estate, instead choosing to travel to Canada for the festive season. Royal fans notice Prince Harry, Meghan and Archie are left out of the line-up of family photos on the Queen's desk during her Christmas Day speech.

January 8, 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan visit Canada House

The couple visit Canada House in London to thank staff for the 'warm hospitality' during their holiday. 'The Duke and Duchess have a strong connection to Canada,' the royals write in an Instagram post. 'It's a country The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family.'

January 9, 2020: The couple step down

Prince Harry and Meghan announce in an Instagram post they are 'stepping back' as senior members of the royal family and working to become financially independent, a decision they say they have made 'after many months of reflection and internal discussions'. Buckingham Palace releases a statement saying discussions are at an early stage, but there are 'complicated issues' to be worked through. Sources tell UK media no other members of the royal family were consulted before the couple made the announcement.