Meghan Markle regretted giving up acting career for royal family role: 'It didn’t compare to life as a TV star'

According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, there were "innumerable advantages and perks" for Meghan as part of the royal family, but that she had to renounce "a lot of things that may have meant a lot to" her.
UPDATED JAN 27, 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Getty Images)

According to Queen Elizabeth's biographer, Meghan Markle "really regretted giving up" her acting career after joining the royal family.

Sally Bedell Smith revealed how the Duchess of Sussex was unhappy "renouncing" her former life as a TV star to become a senior royal. Smith has written biographies for a number of royals including Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

"It seems now that she really regrets having had to give that up, and what she was expected to do in the royal family didn’t compare with what she had been accustomed to," she told Vanity Fair. Buckingham Palace announced last week that Harry and Meghan will stop using their HRH titles and step away from royal duties effective from spring.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a Creative Industries and Business Reception on October 02, 2019, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Getty Images)

According to Sally, there were "innumerable advantages and perks" for Meghan as part of the royal family, but that she had to renounce "a lot of things that may have meant a lot to" her.

Many of those advantages, she said, were available to Meghan in exchange for official royal duties and an effort to dedicate herself to The Firm. However, Meghan "may not have seen it that way" after becoming a part of the royal family, the royal biographer suggested.

It now seems the 38-year-old royal "really regrets" having given up her professional life as she's required to follow strict royal protocol, Sally added.

Having been a part of legal drama 'Suits' as character Rachel Zane for over six years, the Duchess gave up her acting career when she began dating Prince Harry.

Nonetheless, Meghan retained her high-profile Hollywood team, including Hollywood agent Nick Collins of The Gersh Agency, probably to monitor future prospects despite having married Prince Harry. Earlier this month, it came to light that her Beverly Hills team is looking for lucrative film, TV and philanthropic opportunities on behalf of the couple from around the world. 

According to some experts, Harry and Meghan have the potential to make tens of millions of dollars annually owing to their unique mix of Hollywood stardom and British royalty. They may even choose to follow the example of Barack and Michelle Obama, who have finalized a series of lucrative public speaking opportunities, books, and TV deals.

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