When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to quit life as senior royals in 2020, they sent shockwaves both around the world and within the Royal Family.

While the late Queen Elizabeth II issued statements on the matter and pledged that the couple would always remain part of her family, it appears that some strict choices were still issued towards the couple when it came to their future.

According to the Byline Times, King Charles gave his youngest son, now 40, and his wife, 43, two choices when they announced they wanted to move across the pond to California.

These were to either stay in the “safety tent” of Britain or be “cast away and castigated as comprehensively as possible”.

This was reportedly to “reduce the threat of them eclipsing the royal family.”

While it was believed the couple would still be protected by the Palace, especially when it came to their security, this was also no longer the case once Harry decided to swap rainy days in Britain for Californian sunshine.

Harry said the Palace had an “implicit promise” to keep security going for them both, which was not kept.

This has caused problems for the prince who has refused to bring his wife and two children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, back to his home country until the issue of security is resolved.

In past interviews, the duke has spoken publicly about the matter. He once told ITV: “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor… whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

Despite revealing the problems he reportedly faced when stepping back from life as a royal, with most of these revelations coming out in his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry seems to have moved past most of these and has adapted to his new life in America.

In 2020, the couple brought a £11 million house in Montecito where they have been raising their children ever since.

According to various sources, the duke spends his days walking the dog to the beach, doing the school run, and going for bike rides.

He was also recently seen taking part in a surfing lesson not far from his neighbourhood, with many claiming he was now fully accustomed to life in California.