Queen Elizabeth Vetoed Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's 'One Foot In, One Foot Out' Approach: Report

Queen Elizabeth II did not support the initial plan Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had in mind for their future, a royal correspondent has claimed.

Royal biographer Omid Scobie ⁠— co-author of "Finding Freedom," a book on Prince Harry and Markle's royal exit ⁠— told People that stepping away from their royal roles was "harder" than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have ever imagined.

According to the reporter, Prince Harry and Markle "had had it all mapped out in their heads" and planned an arrangement that would have allowed them to carry out their royal duties while also doing private work. However, Scobie claimed that the Queen vetoed their "one foot in, one foot out" approach.

Prince Harry and Markle "knew that they had to change things, but what they had actually planned wasn't actually what was best," claimed Scobie, who spoke with the couple's friends and close associates to write his book.

"They tried to find a way to compromise," he continued. "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."

After they announced their decision to step back as working royals last year, the Queen gave Prince Harry and Markle a year to decide whether they want to return or make their exit permanent. In February, it was announced that the couple was sticking with their initial decision, leading to the Queen stripping them of his honorary military appointments and their royal patronages.

Prince Harry and Markle said in their response to the Queen's decision that "we can all live a life of service. Service is universal."

However, nearly two years after their announcement and months after securing multimillion-dollar streaming, speaking and publishing deals, the duke and duchess feel that they made the right choice in the end and are ready for their "thrive chapter," according to Scobie.

"If we look at where they are now, they feel that it worked out in the best possible way in the end," the royal correspondent told People. "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."