Prince Harry, Meghan Markle found leaving royal life 'harder' than expected

Starting a new life cannot be an easy task for anyone, and if you belong to a royal family just like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, then it could be even harder!

The royal couple, who announced their decision to step back from their royal duties in January 2020, has reportedly found leaving royal life much "harder" than they would have expected.

"The hardest part for them was taking those initial steps away from their royal roles," Omid Scobie told People magazine.

"That was harder than they would ever imagine. They had had it all mapped out in their heads," he added.

Scobie co-wrote 'Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family' with fellow longtime royal reporter Carolyn Durand. The book is a biography that focuses on the married life of Harry and Meghan.

Although the couple initially wanted a "one foot in, one foot out" approach that allowed for both royal duty and private work, that arrangement was vetoed by Harry's grandmother, 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth.

"They knew that they had to change things, but what they had actually planned wasn't actually what was best," said Scobie, who spoke with the couple's friends and close associates to write 'Finding Freedom', which was first published last summer and is now being released in paperback on August 31.

Scobie added, "They tried to find a way to compromise, but would that have enabled them to have that level of happiness and security that they have today? Probably not. Those ties to the institution [of the monarchy] would have still been strong and there would have constantly been issues about financial endeavours and the business decisions they made."

Speaking about the lives they are currently looking forward to, the parents of Archie and Lili are energized to turn a new page their "thrive chapter" with some time away from the day-to-day demands of working royal life, and aided by the financial freedom secured by their multimillion-dollar streaming, speaking and publishing deals.

"If we look at where they are now, they feel that it worked out in the best possible way in the end. It's only now that they've found a life that supports their interests and enables them to focus on the things that are important to them," Scobie told People magazine.

For the unversed, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cited the British media's intrusions and racist attitudes towards the former 'Suits' star, as the reason for their departure from the royal duties in 2020.

The duo now resides in the coastal city of Montecito, California with their two children- Archie and newborn Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Harry and Meghan appeared for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, where the Duchess talked about the intense isolation she felt inside the royal family that prompted suicidal thoughts in her.

Buckingham Palace at that time issued a statement saying the allegations of racism made by the couple were "concerning" and would be addressed privately.