It didn't come across that they were having to leave the country because of their treatment by the press - not at the time.
Don't forget they had their own pet journalist - that guy who copped for the: 'Thanks for asking how I am; not a lot of people ask", comment in South Africa. He was a sort of friend, like Richard Kay was to Diana: a pet poodle to get good pics of them in the press. And now there is Omid. And the power of Sunshine Sachs, which all their privileged millions of pounds has been able to buy.
When they left Britain, H and M pre-empted a more carefully thought-out version of how the removal was going to function, by bouncing the Palace into a fait accompli, in the form of a published statement, saying that they were going to carve out a progressive new role within the Royal Family. It wasn't escape it was growth, thriving, and all that gumpf. They had also patented aspects of the 'Sussex' brand in readiness, and thought they could be the trendy royals, who do things in their own way, but still represent the crown. They found out they couldn't. But why did it take them so long to find out?
They wanted to control the narrative and be a sucker shoot sprouting off from the main rose bush of the Royal Family. That doesn't happen. All of us can try it in our own jobs....if we are in any doubt that life doesn't work in this way. Why don't we? We can go in on Tuesday and tell our bosses that they are fuddy duddies and that we are carving out our own progressive job role. We can email the client list with the news - without first informing our managers - and we can see what will happen. It won't be good. If we can see this, in advance, why can't Harry?
H and M were told to desist from publicly using HRH titles. Those titles go with working as an official royal. Boris Johnson can't continue to use 10 Downing Street and Chequers, now Liz Truss has the top job. A lot of privileges, in the UK, attach to the role and come with a big work load. In the case of royalty, when you.marry in, you are asked if you want to be a working royal. If you say 'no', you don't have to do it: you can be private and avoid public scrutiny.
It's all proscribed. The Royal Family isn't a mystery. Cressida Bonas and Chelsey Davies didn't want the attention and constrictions and they now have lovely beaux, without the same hassle as being with Harry. Please don't talk about Meghan, commentators, for a senior leadership role, if she can't even research the well-documented protocols of, perhaps the most unique and peculiar ( in the non-judgemental sense) famous family on the planet .....which also happens to be the one which she intends to marry into.
I don't read all the press, but I'm aware of opportunities and privileges being given to Meghan and Harry, like the African tour and the personal train trip with the Queen, on which quite frankly, I didn't notice her to be smiling along with the Queen, but more laughing into her hand to herself.
I mentioned Carrie Johnson above. Dominic Cummings has said that she is the 'Mad Queen' who wants to rule ( a story as old as time) and, on the back of that comment, practically the whole of the press decried her heavy influence and dug out quotes by other politicians along that theme of her interfering too much. Lots of people get unhelpful press. Having a high profile engenders it. You don't have to go for a high profile, you can choose to marry in and be a non-working royal.
Meghan was hugely fortunate to have had the means of controlling the media narrative of who she is and what she believes in. She had a lot of freedom to do Vogue editions and clothes for work projects and her own favourite stuff. This gave her a direct voice through the media to say in her own words, who she thought she was. If we are saying that it didn't counter other press ramblings, then maybe it's because people didn't take to what she was saying, because her ideas are not very powerful. There was that magazine cover with little pics of all the most influential women. She controlled what that article said, and it represented a big opportunity for her to make her mark.
I'm gob smacked at their naivety as a couple. I just think, well if I know that when you meet the cast of Lion King, that it's too support the theatre industry, ...then why doesn't Harry? If I know you don't shake hands with the producer and then say: " My wife does voice over work, you know? She's good!". Flipping hell! Doesn't Harry know that too! That evening should have been about putting the spotlight on the theatres which have had a shocking time through Covid; not feathering your own nest, with a cheeky comment, when you're supposed to be representing the British public. You could see by everyone else's faces, Beyonce, etc., that they also knew that he was out of order.
I can't take H and M's grievances seriously, because they don't seem to know their arse from their elbow. Harry even got taken in by a fictitious, pranking Greta Thurburg and gave her, a supposed kid, as far as he thought, his personal pitch and spiel as to who he is... a thoroughly down to earth guy. The way H and M view things is so off kilter, that I don't think anyone can believe what they imply about having being unfairly treated. Their judgement is warped.