Hints that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's desired to step back from the royal family were in plain sight during their recent royal tour.
According to royal sources Harry and Meghan's decision to quit as full time royals caught senior members of the family unaware.
Yet with the power of hindsight the couple's decision did not come completely out of the blue.
Back in October last year the Duke and Duchess caused serious ripples when they opened up about their troubles in the ITV documentary about their most recent royal tour – Harry & Meghan: African Journey.
The most eye opening revelation, and one which suggests that Harry may not have been feeling completely comfortable with his place in the Firm, revolved around his brother.
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Speaking to ITV news anchor Tom Bradby, who he has been friends with for nearly 20 years, Harry said: “Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that it’s under inevitably, you know, stuff happens.
“But look, we’re brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and I know he’ll always be there for me.
“You know, we don’t see each other as much as we, as much as we used to because we’re so busy. But I love him dearly and, you know, the majority of the stuff is created out of nothing. Just as I said, as brothers, you have good days, you have bad days.”
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While Harry was having brotherly love issues, Meghan suggested she was struggling with her new role as a mum.
An emotional Meghan spoke in the show of the “really challenging” time of being a new mother in the spotlight, saying: “It’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
In the film, a subdued Meghan said pregnancy is a “vulnerable” time and not many people had asked after her wellbeing.
She added she had “tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip” but was left feeling hurt over negative coverage they received.
Now that the couple have announced their plans to spend half the year in North American, Meghan's admission perhaps suggests that she was not completely getting along with the British way of life.
Harry told of the stress of public life too, revealing his mental health is under “constant management”.
Following the airing of the documentary speculation began to grow about Harry and Meghan's place in the royal family.
There were reports that Prince William didn't see the programme before it aired, however the Palace refused to comment on that.
At the time the royal source told the Mirror that senior royals are “concerned for the couple” and said the breakdown in their relationship was "desperately sad".
"They’re going completely separate ways and Harry is the one who seems to be visibly struggling," they said.
“It seems the boy who walked behind their mother’s coffin, which is so vividly seared onto the nation’s consciousness, has never fully recovered, which is an utter tragedy.
"Charles has sought to help the young men, even that hasn’t helped.
“Many inside the family have said how seeing her sons drifting apart would be the last thing Diana would have wanted.”
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