Megxit

On January 8, 2020, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced on Instagram that they “intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family.” In the post, the couple also indicated they aim to become financially independent and split their time between North America and the UK.

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

This decision—which was met with a range of reactions, from shock to cheers to criticism to anger—was quickly dubbed Megxit by British tabloid The Sun. The term (along with many other such formations) riffs on Brexit, the probable withdrawal (exit) of the UK from the European Union.

Tomorrow's front page: Queen ‘deeply upset’ at Harry and Meghan’s Royal exit sparking ‘civil war’ – with Charles and Wills ‘incadescent with rage’ https://t.co/xo6t5qdpsO pic.twitter.com/ZYEfjlEmwN

— The Sun (@TheSun) January 8, 2020

The Sun wasn’t the first to blend Meghan and exit into Megxit, however. On social media in 2018–19, some used Megxit to insult Meghan Markle and express a desire for her to leave the British royal family. Some of these insults appear to have a racist and sexist character. British tabloids have been widely accused of such racism and sexism in their treatment of Markle—which many attribute as motivating, in part, the couple’s desire for a more private life.

The Megxit again became primetime news in early March of 2021. On March 7, CBS released an exclusive interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by Oprah Winfrey. During the interview, Winfrey repeatedly used the word Megxit to refer to the couple’s decision. The interview was the first given by the couple since the so-called Megxit and revealed many shocking details about their treatment by the royal family and their decision to split from the family. The couple revealed scandalous bombshells about the royal family, such as Prince Harry’s friction with his father, Prince Charles, a general lack of support from the royal family, the royals expressing concerns about their baby’s skin tone, and Markle having suffered from suicidal thoughts.

#Oprah: We’ve seen in the press that you’re responsible for this Megxit. It was all intentional to build your brand. #MeghanMarkle: That’s absurd. I left my career, my life, I left everything because i love him. #OprahMeghanHarry

— Kristen Meinzer (@kristenmeinzer) March 8, 2021