Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Apparently Need a Royal Extension to Stay in America—Here’s Why

It seems Megxit wasn’t permanent, and now, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seeking an extension to their royal exit deal. Talks of an extension are expected to take place with senior members of the royal family in the new year, according to a new report by The Sun.

If this whole extension business is news to you, you’re not alone. Back when Meghan and Harry announced their plans to step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in January 2020, the decision came as a resounding shock to everyone in Buckingham Palace and beyond. Their decision, which is often referred to as their “royal exit,” sounded so very final—but it seems that’s not the case at all. Following their announcement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex entered into discussions with the royal family at a meeting on January 13 dubbed the Sandringham Summit, where the Queen and other Buckingham Palace officials began hammering out the terms of their exit. As it turns out, the terms of Meghan and Harry’s royal exit were subject to review after twelve months.

That brings us to March 31, 2021, which is when Meghan and Harry’s royal exit deal is officially set to expire. The couple must renegotiate a deal to stay in the U.S., where they currently live with their 19-month-old son, Archie, at their new home in Montecito, California. According to The Sun, the Sussexes are expected to take part in some “friendly video calls” to senior royals in January, while Harry—and possibly Meghan—will later fly to the U.K. to finalize discussions in person (so long as travel restrictions allow).

“Although they will do some of it by Zoom, Harry wants to meet face to face to tie it all up,” royal biographer Andrew Morton explained. “Things seem to have calmed down. Harry has been in contact with the Queen more often than you would think. But certain things you need to be there in person to sort. They will need a few weeks. That could be done after April, depending on COVID.”

According to The Sun, a “top aide” to the royal exit discussions corroborated Morton’s claim that the discussions could continue well-past March 31. An insider also told the paper that Harry could be hoping to revisit the issue of his military titles, which were stripped from him as part of the couple’s original royal exit deal. “Harry regrets losing those titles and keeping them open for as long as possible keeps that olive branch out,” the insider explained, referring to the military roles which have been kept vacant since the duke’s royal exit.