Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sent shockwaves through the palace—and world—on Wednesday, January 8, when they announced they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted to Instagram. Shortly after, Buckingham Palace released their own statement that suggested senior royals weren’t privy to Markle and Prince Harry’s announcement—or at least the rollout of it.
But as People magazine pointed out in an article on Friday, January 10, the Sussexes may have hinted at their plan in an IG video published on Tuesday. The post in question features footage from Markle and Prince Harry’s recent stop at London’s Canada House, and it’s soundtracked by the Raphael Lake song “Follow Me.” The lyrics to this tune are telling, especially in light of Markle and Prince Harry’s big announcement. Read just a few of them, below:
“There’s no distance in between/Darling you and me/Make this thing complete/We go drifting out to sea/Making memories..I’ll always hold on/Hopin’ you’ll miss me when I’m gone/So won’t you follow me/Follow me.”
Add this with the fact the Sussex’s video ends with them saying goodbye to the Canada House staff and facing a barrage of paparazzi, and you have what could be a hint…hidden in plain sight. Perhaps the “thing” they wanted to make “complete” was the announcement, and the “drifting out to sea” is code for them dividing time between the U.K. and North America. It’s a totally valid theory—though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will probably never confirm this outright.
Whatever the case, they’ve returned to business as usual since Wednesday’s bombshell. On Friday afternoon, the @SussexRoyal Instagram account posted photos from Markle and Prince Harry’s recent visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen. They’ve made no mention of their stepping down since the first announcement.
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment,” Markle and Prince Harry wrote in their release. “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
