Prince Harry might have hinted about plans to leave the royal family months before he and Meghan Markle made their announcement. The Duke of Sussex told Dr. Jane Goodall he did not plan on raising son Archie with the strict rules royal children usually live by. Markle and Harry officially stepped down from their royal duties on March 31, and confirmed they will no longer use their Sussex Royal Instagram account.
In the new documentary Jane Goodall: The Hope, the beloved primatologist described meeting Harry at a conservation event, which is included in the film, reports The Daily Mail. Harry and Goodall are close friends “because we have many things in common,” she said. During the event, Harry introduced Goodall to Archie, who was “was very tiny and very sleepy – not too pleased to be passed from his mummy” Goodall said in the film.
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“I made Archie do the Queen’s wave, saying, ‘I suppose he’ll have to learn this,’” Goodall recalled. “Harry said, ‘No, he’s not growing up like that.’” Harry made those comments months before Markle, Harry and Queen Elizabeth announced plans for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to transition out of major royal family roles and to live in North America.
Back on March 30, Harry and Markle posted their last message on the Sussex Royal Instagram page. The long statement included some words of encouragement during the coronavirus pandemic. They also thanked their fans for the support and are looking forward to launching a new Instagram page.
“As we can all feel, the world at this moment seems extraordinarily fragile,” the couple wrote. “Yet we are confident that every human being has the potential and opportunity to make a difference—as seen now across the globe, in our families, our communities and those on the front line—together we can lift each other up to realise the fullness of that promise. What’s most important right now is the health and wellbeing of everyone across the globe and finding solutions for the many issues that have presented themselves as a result of this pandemic.”
Since leaving the royal family, Markle will be able to work in Hollywood again. Her first project is a new Disneynature documentary called Elephant, which was released on April 3. The film follows a group of elephants traveling 1,000 miles across Africa over eight months. It ties into the Duchess’ love of elephants and Africa. Since Markle was still a duchess when the narration was recorded, her salary went to Elephants Without Borders.
It is still not clear if Markle plans to resume her career as an actress in front of the camera. Sources told The Daily Mail she is nervous she could be criticized if she works again, so she has been picky about what her first film or television role would be. She has “been telling her agents that she wants Ava DuVernay involved, and that they need to find the right script,” the sources claimed.
