Proof Meghan And Harry Won't Return To The Royal Family Anytime Soon
For those holding out hope that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might return to the embrace of the royal family, there's yet another sign that it's looking less and less likely: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might have parted ways with the law firm officially used by Queen Elizabeth II and the other senior royals — the same firm that has represented Harry since he was a teenager.
According to a report from the Daily Mail in June 2020, the couple has supposedly decided to stop using the services of the firm Harbottle & Lewis. News of the split comes only months after Harry and Meghan, along with their infant son Archie, enacted their headline-fueling Megxit, first staying temporarily in Canada before settling in their new home in Los Angeles.
So, why is this an indicator that Harry and Meghan won't return to the royal family anytime soon? And what does this independence really mean?
Prince Harry and Meghan have dropped the royal's longterm law firm
As the Daily Mail reported, the decision to separate from the law firm Harbottle & Lewis is even more surprising due to the fact that one of the firm's senior partners, Gerrard Tyrrell, was asked to be the director of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charity under the umbrella foundation, Sussex Royal. (Though as Harper's Bazaar noted, when Harry and Meghan stepped down from the royal family, they switched gears from the Sussex Royal foundation and began plans for their own non-profit.)
Both Harry and Meghan purportedly filed official documents to begin the process of parting ways with Harbottle & Lewis in mid-June 2020, according to an anonymous source who, as per the Daily Mail, is referred to as "a courtier." The courtier offered an analysis of what an official split actually means. "It would appear to demonstrate that they have no intention of coming back," the source explained. "The choice of lawyers is of great importance to the Royal Household and Gerrard was a useful neutral link man between the Sussexes and the Palace."
The non-profit Harry and Meghan are starting, Archewell, has also found new representation with another law firm named Fieldfisher after originally being with Harbottle & Lewis, per Daily Mail. But what's the significance behind the switch?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want as much independence as they can
According to the Daily Mail's inside source, the move to abandon the royal family's law firm for another boils down to one thing: independence, no strings attached. "They wanted to instruct their own lawyers, not those also used by the Royal Family. They are on an independent path," claimed the anonymous tipster.
The decision could not have been an easy one for Prince Harry to make. Not only has the Duke of Sussex had a relationship with the firm and its senior partner Gerrald Tyrrell for years in terms of legal advice, but he even encouraged former girlfriends to utilize their services as well. Tyrrell himself is also one of the most reputed lawyers (or, in the parlance of the U.K., barristers) in Britain.
"Gerard Tyrrell is a name breathed with certain awe," the Daily Mail noted, quoting comments made by a judge after Tyrrell was granted a prize for his work in 2017. "[In] acting for the Queen, and royal families, he has throughout his career built his own reputation while protecting and preserving the reputations of others."
Though the split appears evident, there has been no official statement released by either the Duke and Duchess of Sussex or Tyrrell. After reaching out to Tyrrell himself, the Daily Mail only received this from the law firm's head honcho: "As I am certain you will appreciate, we do not comment on such matters."