King Charles’ Royal Ultimatum: Harry and Meghan Were Given 'Two Choices' When They Quit Senior Roles

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly presented with two options by King Charles III when they announced their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family and move to America. Charles, the Prince of Wales at the time, reportedly gave his youngest son a clear ultimatum— either remain within the 'safety tent' of the UK and royal life or be "cast away and castigated as comprehensively as possible."

This ultimatum was allegedly intended to reduce the perceived threat of Harry and Meghan overshadowing the royal family. It suggested that staying within the UK would afford them protection while leaving would result in them being fully cut off. Despite being granted a 'transition period' to explore life abroad, it was reported that “senior members of the family wanted them back” once the period ended and were allegedly 'prepared to play dirty' to make it happen.

According to She Knows, the palace “did everything they could to ensure their plans would fail,” starting by removing their security detail and allowing the UK press to conduct a 12-month media campaign against the Sussexes and those close to them. These claims align closely with the couple’s Netflix docuseries, which suggested that the royal family played a role in fueling negative headlines about them. Ultimately, the couple chose to move to Montecito, California, leaving behind their roles as senior royals. In his memoir, Spare, Harry revealed that neither he nor Markle had anticipated truly losing their security detail upon their departure from royal duties.

In his book, Harry expressed shock as he believed that the removal had left his family vulnerable, particularly given the public and media scrutiny they faced at the time and the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. He had assumed that the palace would uphold what he referred to as an 'implicit promise' to maintain their security, even after stepping down from their roles. 

Some critics of the Sussexes believed that Harry was overreacting when he requested protection from the royal family. However, former Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations for the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, supported his claims. In a revealing interview with the U.K.’s Channel 4 News, Basu stated that the couple faced constant threats during their time as senior royals. Basu also emphasized that many of the threats were specifically aimed at Markle. “Absolutely, and if you’d seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it…the kind of rhetoric that’s online, if you don’t know what I know, you would feel under threat all of the time,” he noted.  

Since then, it is believed that Harry has been funding his own security to protect himself, Markle, and their two children—Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Residents in Montecito have reported seeing Harry regularly accompanied by his security team, even during seemingly routine activities. Neighbor Richard Mineards told The Express that Harry is often spotted walking on the beach, riding his bike, or occasionally dining out. However, he is almost always flanked by his security detail. "He’s rarely seen without his protection squad," Mineards noted.