The baby heartache behind Meghan and Harry’s shock move

She was hailed as a breath of fresh air for the stuffy royal family after Prince Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle, a woman of mixed heritage with a passion for charity work and women’s rights.

Royal watchers hoped the former Suits actress would help modernise the monarchy, and, at first, her trait for doing things her own way and sticking to what she believed in won over millions of fans. But it took less than six months for the fairy tale to turn into a nightmare.

Things began to unravel during the countdown to their wedding, when her now-estranged father Thomas Markle was banned from the nuptials after he staged photos of himself looking at pictures of the royal couple online, and he later gave a series of interviews to the press.

It was followed by reports of Meghan demanding a particular tiara to wear on her big day and Harry allegedly telling staff, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets”. Then, there were claims she scolded palace staff and was reportedly reprimanded by the Queen, who allegedly warned her, “Meghan, in this family we don’t speak to people like that.”

The wedding was a glittering, A-list affair, with the likes of George and Amal Clooney, Priyanka Chopra, Oprah Winfrey and Idris Elba all taking pride of place seated at the front of St George’s Chapel, taking precedence over Harry’s longer-standing friends.

Then there were reports that the duchess was “difficult to manage”, with accusations of diva-like behaviour as palace aides left in droves – and she gradually fell out of favour with the nation, too.

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The American-born actress was slammed for her “excessive” £150k star-studded baby shower in New York and her £350k maternity wardrobe, and the couple came under fire for not having a public christening for son Archie. They were also criticised for breaking royal protocol by keeping Archie’s godparents’ identities private and spending a reported £2.4m of taxpayers’ money on renovations to their home, Frogmore Cottage.

Not even Meghan’s charity commitments, which included writing messages of support to sex workers on bananas, or launching a cookbook to raise funds for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, could help turn the tide of negativity.

Just a month after the christening, Meghan alienated fans at Wimbledon last summer when she banned them from taking pictures of her cheering on pal Serena Williams – and she then further upset royal supporters when it was revealed the couple had turned their family home into a fortress to ensure their privacy.

The bad press around her continued as the couple faced fresh claims of hypocrisy after it emerged in September that they had taken four private jet journeys in just 11 days – despite “preaching” about the importance of protecting the environment.

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Not even their Africa tour and admirable support of charitable courses could endear them to the public. Their trip was overshadowed by news that Meghan was suing a British newspaper over the publication of a private letter she’d sent to her father. Harry also used this time as an opportunity to launch a scathing attack on the British press, saying he could no longer be a “silent witness to her private suffering”, and referencing his late mother Princess Diana – “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces,” he said.

A documentary of their tour, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which aired in October, caused yet more shockwaves. In the hour-long broadcast, viewers watched Meghan reveal the impact of the repeated negative press she’d faced, saying, “I tried to adopt this British sensibility of a ‘stiff upper lip’. I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging… Thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m OK.”

In the wake of the documentary, royal experts claimed everyone “from the Queen down” was worried and horrified by the divisive nature of the film.

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Shortly afterwards, eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that, in a photo taken of the Queen at Buckingham Palace, a framed picture of Harry and Meghan had been removed from its usual spot on her mantelpiece.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe believes it was Meghan who propelled Harry to leave behind their duties and step down from their official roles and that in her he finally found someone strong enough to leave as a united pair.

He says, “Harry has always wanted to walk away from royal life. I think, sadly for Meghan, she’s going to take the brunt of the blame for this, but actually it’s only now that Harry has her and Archie that he feels he can finally act on what he’s always wanted.”

Read more in this week's Closer magazine - out now