Meghan Markle has been compared to Anne Boleyn amid an ongoing debate about her exit from royal life in 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from royal duties less than two years after tying the knot in Windsor, with the couple now living with their two children in Montecito, California.
Comparison in New Book
In her new book, 'Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles', author Catherine Mayer suggested that Meghan's "brutal" departure from royal life mirrored Anne's experience in a number of ways. Anne, who died in 1536, served as Queen Consort during her marriage to King Henry VIII.
Mayer wrote: "Critics hold [Anne] solely responsible for her own downfall. If you assume this to be a description of Meghan, you're right – but here's the thing: the same details apply, word for word, to Anne Boleyn."
Hostility Toward Outspoken Women
Stating that Meghan's reputation may have been "damned" by a palace culture she characterized as hostile toward outspoken women, Mayer added: "To those who clamour for Meghan to be expunged from public life like a latter-day Anne Boleyn, I'd ask one question: what exactly has she done to earn such hostility?"
Meghan married Harry in 2018, with the pair welcoming their first child, son Prince Archie, in 2019. Following their move to the US in 2020, the couple then welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet, in June 2021.
Official Statement
In their official statement, released on January 8, 2020, the couple wrote: "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen..."
Harry is set to return to the UK next month for the one-year countdown event for the 2027 Invictus Games. Meghan and their children could join him, although this has not yet been confirmed.
