Life in the royal family may guarantee status, but it doesn't guarantee happiness. Back when Meghan Markle first started dating Prince Harry, we can only assume that she didn't anticipate the onslaught of nasty tabloid reporters coming for her every day. Meghan already knew what celebrity life was like, so she was no stranger to gossip — but we can all agree that things went a bit too far when she became a duchess. Way too far.
If we were dealing with our private details being published, having our families scrutinized, and putting up with some flat-out racism — yeah, we'd want to quit royalty, too.
People usually think of being royal as a cakewalk. Pretty dresses, castles, and adoring fans — how hard could it be? Harder than celeb life, that's for sure. Dealing with the inner drama of the royal family in addition to becoming a first-time mom to Archie seems like it was seriously stressful.
Things were never easy for the Duchess of Sussex, and we don't blame both her and Harry for wanting to step back from working royal life. The Princess Diaries II taught us that royals should be able to choose their own path — and we 100% agree. Especially when royal life was making Meghan this miserable all along.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Feeling Blue
That thousand-yard stare says it all. It's so often that we see Meghan smile that her frowns sometimes get lost because we're used to seeing her keep it so together. We don't blame Meghan at all for her departure from royal life — it's about time we stop expecting royals to smile all the time. That seems like it would just be so exhausting.
Deep Breath
It's OK, girl — take a deep breath. Not only is Meghan expected to be happy all the time, but she's also expected to be sad on demand. Imagine if she had laughed at a joke during this Field of Remembrance ceremony. The media would have been all over her. We can feel the tension in this picture. She looks so stressed.
Tired of It
Getting to meet hundreds of adoring fans all the time may seem like a dream come true, but at the end of the day, Meghan wasn't getting to live her own life. Her happiness should have always be on her own terms and no one else's. No one should have to steel themselves like this just to walk out their door.
Looking Low
No duchess should ever be looking this low — lest the tiara fall off. Then again, kick that tiara to the curb, Meghan. She doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore, and we are 1,000% here for her independence. We're also super here for her big black hat. We wish we looked this chic when were were sad.
Royal Headache
Jet-setting all over the world isn't exactly relaxing, and with so many royal responsibilities, how could anyone cope with the stress? Even as brave as Meghan was during her time in the royal family, that facade cracked every now and then. We hope our duchess is getting some well-deserved R&R now that she's free from the monarchy.
Unamused
Meghan looks like couldn't even pretend to be invested in what's happening, here — but no one should be making her pretend, either. Such was the life of a dedicated wife and royal. Luckily, she doesn't need that latter title anymore. No more stuffy royal events for her! Harry's probably glad about that, too.
A Touch Tense
There's something about Meghan's eyes that really tell a lot about her soul. And here, her soul looks sad. That slightly furrowed brow reveals it all — her worries, anxieties, and doubt. We know she's going to rise up from these royal ashes like a phoenix, though. The best is still yet to come for her.
Break Time
Imagine all the effort that goes into every speech Meghan has to make. Whether she's in the mood or not, she's forced to stiff-upper-lip her exhaustion and bad feelings in order to accommodate other people. Not anymore! Now she can make speeches when she wants to and only on subjects she actually cares about without worrying what the monarchy might think.
Side-Eye
The Duchess of Sussex (she is still a duchess — at least until we hear otherwise) is totally rocking a serious side-eye here. We'd be side-eyeing the paparazzi too if we were on our last leg of pregnancy and people were snapping pictures of us at all moments of the day. She looks so over it.
Not Fitting In
Meghan looks absolutely miserable in this photo, and to be honest, so does Kate Middleton. Perhaps this was when their feud was at its worst, but in any case, no one was winning here. We're so glad Meghan got out of there so she could shine on her own. We love Meghan and we love Kate, and neither deserve to be in anyone's shadow.
Not Looking
We get it, Meghan — we can't bear to watch the media circus anymore either. The message is loud and clear: She did not want to be here. We can't wait to see Meghan thriving on her own accord. We're here for #Megxit. Also, the paparazzi need to leave her alone for like one freaking minute, please.
Paw Pals
Listen, maybe things aren't all that bad in this one — she's got a dog! We know it's not enough to make up for the pages of unflattering photos and rude tabloid headlines, but at least she was able to keep a cool head. Can we start a petition to give Meghan a basket of puppies as a reward. She deserves all the joy now.
Paying Respect
Respect is a big part of how we treat other people. As a working royal, Meghan was constantly paying respect to individual fans, families, and even entire countries. It's about time someone (or everyone) finally gives her the basic respect she deserves. She put up with a lifetime of pain in just a few months.
Sitting Silently
We know that Meghan's had to suffer in silence for a long time, but we're glad that she's finally been able to break the cycle and speak her truth. Not all royal events are high tea and fun — some are just tedious and downright exhausting. She looks like she's thoroughly miserable at this particular outing, whatever it was.
Shady Business
We get it, Meghan. We'd be putting on shades to mask our true feelings too if we had to deal with this drama every day. No amount of pep talking from Harry can hide the truth: This situation just sucks all around. And this was so early in the romance that it really just got worse from here. A true nightmare.
Overshadowed
There are a lot of reasons for Meghan to feel miserable here. She was only about a month postpartum, so she probably missed Archie and felt uncomfortable in all her clothes. Plus, protocol deemed that she had to stand at the back behind a bunch of kids and Prince Andrew. We'd be making that face, too.
Losing It
It's not too often that we see Meghan drop her smiling facade, but she lost it for a moment here during one of her final royal outings. Some people seemed to want to construe the photo to mean that she was yelling at Harry or something, but it really seems like she was frustrated with the paparazzi shooting photos through their car window. Leave them alone!
Last Royal Event
The 2020 Commonwealth Day service marked Meghan and Harry's final engagement as working royals, and it looks like Meghan was feeling a mixture of annoyance and relief. She just had to make it through one last boring ceremony and she was free! And the photographers knew that, so they were extra all over her.
Sister Struggles
Thanks to Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey, we now know much more about the feud between Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge — like that Kate started it, according to Meghan. That explains their frosty distance at the 2018 Trooping the Colour, which would have taken place just a few weeks after their bridesmaid dress squabble.
Masking Her Pain
Also in her Oprah interview, Meghan revealed that she was feeling suicidal while working as a royal, and she went to this event with Harry only because she didn't want to be left alone. She may be smiling, but her eyes say everything in this photo. She is a million miles away. Thankfully, she had Harry by her side.
