Prince Harry Wanted to "Move Away" From the Royal Family Long Before He Met Meghan Markle
Finding Freedom co-author Omid Scobie rejected the false narrative that Meghan Markle was responsible for the Sussexes' departure from the royal family.


- Finding Freedom co-author Omid Scobie recently spoke to the Independent, and rejected the false narrative that Meghan Markle was responsible for the Sussexes' departure from the royal family.
- "I think it’s unfair that Meghan has been blamed for convincing Harry to leave the royal family," Scobie said.
- "Anyone who knows Harry will know that this has always been a side of his life that he’s struggled with and it’s seemed really obvious to us that he wanted to find someone to be his partner so he could move away from that," the royal correspondent continued.
Meghan Markle's faced an onslaught of racist abuse, both from the media and the public, since her relationship with Prince Harry was revealed—and when the Sussexes announced they would step down as senior royals, many immediately and unfairly blamed Meghan. Royal correspondent Omid Scobie, who co-authored Sussex biography Finding Freedom with Carolyn Durand, rejected that assumption in a recent interview with the Independent, stating that Prince Harry had "struggled" with his life as a royal long before even meeting Meghan.
"I think it’s unfair that Meghan has been blamed for convincing Harry to leave the royal family," Scobie said. "Anyone who knows Harry will know that this has always been a side of his life that he’s struggled with and it’s seemed really obvious to us that he wanted to find someone to be his partner so he could move away from that."
"As we report in the book, Meghan was prepared to drop everything to make her role in the royal family work. It says a lot about how we talk about women in the public eye that she gets the blame," Scobie continued. "Any successful woman who is over a certain age is going to get called 'too loud' or 'too problematic,' and that’s especially true if you’re a woman of colour."
RELATED STORIES
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
Harry Was Allegedly Crushed When William Received "Special Treatment"
"Poor Harry's face across the table," Princess Diana's former butler recalled.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Wasn't Informed About King Charles's Hospitalization
"It looks like the duke only found out about his father's latest health update through the media."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Jennifer Lawrence Styles a $7,500 Outfit With $100 Sneakers
The actress paired Prada and Celine with her $100 footwear.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Was Allegedly Crushed When Prince William Received "Special Treatment" as a Child, Says Royal Butler
"Poor Harry's face across the table," Princess Diana's former butler recalled.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Wasn't Informed About King Charles's Hospitalization as Palace Didn't Want to "Cause Unnecessary Alarm"
"It looks like the duke only found out about his father's latest health update through the media."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle and Her Makeup Artist Confirmed All Her Royal Wedding Beauty Products
And yes, you can shop them all here.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Why Prince Harry Is So "Torn Apart" Over Resigning From His Charity
The Duke of Sussex co-founded Sentebale in honor of his mother in 2006.
By Lia Beck Published
-
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Expect a Goop x As Ever collab in three… two..
By Lia Beck Published
-
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
It's never been easier to dress like a duchess.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Father and son have much more in common than their vibrant red hair.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
And she used her nickname for him in the shoutout she wrote in the video's caption.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published