Prince Harry was 'emotional and demoralised' after huge decision from late Queen

09 March 2024 , 05:00

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Prince Harry was left disappointed by the late Queen's decision, royal authors claim (Image: WireImage)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a series of sacrafices since stepping down as working royals - but one loss hit the Duke of Sussex the hardest, royal authors have claimed.

Harry claimed in his memoir Spare that he never wanted a full break from the Royal Family, or the royal role he had grown up with, but wanted to adopt a more hybrid approach.

However, this suggestion was swiftly rejected by the palace, who took the view that the Sussexes were either in, or they were out.

Finding himself on the outside of the royal fold, one by one the Duke lost patronages, his automatic police security, and eventually his Windsor home - Frogmore Cottage - that had been given to him and his wife by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Harry has expressed grave concern about losing his automatic right to police protection when he visits the UK, but royal authors claim there was another 'painful' decision by the late Queen Elizabeth that impacted him greatly.

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Prince Harry left the armed forces in 2015 (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Prince Harry was apparently "emotional and demoralised" after being stripped of his military titles when he stepped down from royal duties. The Duke of Sussex was forced to relinquish his cherished roles in the British Army after moving to California with Meghan in 2020.

Harry vowed to maintain links with servicemen and women after leaving the forces in 2015, reports the Daily Star. It was this aspect of 'Megxit' that he found most "demoralising", according to Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

The book reads: "If his grandmother's validation of his experiences served as encouragement, the most demoralising aspect of the new deal was his being stripped of his honorary military appointments that had been awarded to him as a senior royal.

"As a retired serviceman, Harry would always be able to wear his medals, but no longer could he wear uniform as Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Bas Honington, and honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Small Ships and Diving Operations. These roles had come to an end."

A source told the authors: "That's been a tough pill to swallow, and the one that has been most painful to Meghan witness him go through. It's the one that made Harry emotional."

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Emma Mackenzie