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Harry and Meghan Hoped to ‘Dip Their Toes’ In US Politics With Royal Exit, Says Author: 'There Was...'

After stepping down as senior royals in 2020 and moving to California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have encouraged U.S. citizens to vote but remain largely apolitical, choosing not to endorse a particular candidate. This is however still a huge leap given that within the royal fold, they were strictly required to stay mum on all political matters to avoid breach of protocol. Royal author Valentine Low has claimed that one of the reasons the Sussexes burned bridges with the royal family was because they were denied the freedom to 'dip their toes' in American politics. 

Low, in his book Courtiers, claimed that Harry and Markle had largely two reasons to leave the royal family, one of them being their desire to endorse politics. As reported by the Daily Mail, Low explained, "There was no way for the two sides to reach an agreement on that point. Crucially, it was the Queen who took the view that unless they were prepared to abide by the restrictions that applied to working members of the royal family, they could not be allowed to carry out official duties."

Indeed after leaving the royal family, in the 2020 US presidential race, the couple indirectly endorsed Joe Biden. In a TIME 100 video urging citizens to 'reject hate speech', Markle dubbed the elections as the "most important election of our lifetime." Harry too stressed, "As we approach this November, it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity." As per the Daily Express, though the pair did not outrightly name their preferred candidate, fans believed they were backing Biden over Donald Trump given their choice of words. 

Shortly after the video, the Duchess posted a photo on her Archewell website flaunting an 'I Voted' sticker on Election Day.  As reported by The Independent, Markle's photo and the couple's endorsement address broke royal protocol. While they are permitted to vote, they are expected not to reveal their candidate. According to People Magazine, Markle was the first modern royal to vote in a US presidential election in 2020. The official website of the royal family states, "As head of state the Queen has to remain strictly neutral concerning political matters." 

Low in his book, claimed other than her political aspirations, Markle had another reason to leave the royal family. He revealed that her desire to 'earn money for herself' led the couple to abandon their duties entirely. He penned, "Some suspected that in the end she wanted to make money. And the only way she was going to do that was by leaving her royal life behind and going back to America." The Sussex's official announcment of their royal exit too cited wished to "become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."