Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Have No Regrets Over Royal Exit, 'Proud' Of Accomplishments, Book Says

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are happy with their decision to leave their royal lives behind, a book has claimed.

According to a new epilogue in the unauthorized biography "Finding Freedom," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have found their stride in their newfound independence and are "proud" of the work they've done since stepping down from their roles as senior working members of the royal family.

Despite how "difficult" the past few years have been for the couple, unnamed sources close to the Sussexes told co-authors and royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand that "neither Harry nor Meghan have any regrets about the decisions they have made," according to Town & Country.

The epilogue noted that Markle was proud of what she has achieved since settling down in the U.S. with her husband and their son Archie, including her children's book "The Bench" and her work with various charities in California, the U.K. and internationally. The couple has since welcomed daughter Lilibet in June and is currently working on several projects.

Markle "is 'proud' to see how far she has come and what she and Harry have been able to build in the brief twelve months of their new financially independent lives," the authors quoted anonymous friends of the duchess as saying.

According to the book, their accomplishments were "another sign that [Meghan and Harry] had made the right decision to step back from royal roles, not only for their family but for their focus on social issues and helping the world."

After announcing their decision to step back from their royal roles in January 2020, Prince Harry and Markle had an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II to review the decision a year later. In February, it was announced that the couple decided not to return to their royal duties.

As a result, they were stripped of his honorary military appointments and their royal patronages, with a statement from Buckingham Palace saying that it was "not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

Scobie told People in a recent interview that Prince Harry and Markle initially considered an arrangement that would have allowed them to carry out their royal duties while also doing private work. However, the Queen reportedly vetoed their "one foot in, one foot out" approach, according to the royal correspondent.

"They tried to find a way to compromise," he explained. "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 endeavors and the business decisions they made."

Since their landmark decision, Prince Harry and Markle have secured multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify as well as booked speaking and publishing deals. The duke is set to publish his memoir next year, while the duchess will executive produce an animated series for Netflix.

Scobie said the royal couple is ready for their "thrive chapter," telling People, "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."

Prince Harry and Markle's lawyers previously said the couple had no direct involvement in the claims made in "Finding Freedom." They also said they were never interviewed for the unauthorized biography.