Harry and Meghan quitting the royal family? Can’t say I blame them – they’ll be far happier

I reckon this is driven by love, for each other and for their boy Archie

The royals who quit? Hard to believe, but true. I can’t say I blame them. A life of unthinkable comfort, security and luxury, not without some intellectual stimulation. You’ll never want for anything. Palaces. Servants. Security 24/7. Just imagine.

Yet they were right to “step back” from royal duties. For a start, the family has just grown too big for them to have much of a role (let alone the more distant branches of the Windsor family tree). As the younger bro, he was the spare as William was going to be heir.

Then there’s us lot, the media. Collectively we’ve long made their lives hell – and the loss of Diana when Harry was so young is something you cannot ever discount when you assess his decisions. Yes, the press did contribute to her death. Meghan has similarly – rightly – objected to the crazed campaign of hate being waged by some newspapers against her.

The readers’ comments under the opinion pieces about her are near-impossible to read: out-and-out racism, or else poorly disguised. Hard to take, and she doesn’t want to or have to take it. The intrusions, distortions, absurd posturing of these commentators – ghastly stuff. The couple are suing the press, but it will only make the papers more vicious. They cannot win.

So they’ve abdicated, the first since Edward VIII jacked it in in 1936 to “marry the woman I love”. I reckon this is driven by love too, for each other and for their boy Archie. I think they simply could not face bringing him up and facing the same abuse they’ve had to suffer. It is not worth it just to turn up to the odd investiture and wander around Buckingham Palace garden parties. The contrast with the entitled Prince Andrew – another princely “spare” – is striking.

Instead they’re doing something bold and appropriate. They are modernising their little bit of the institution. The monarchy hasn’t got much to do these days except to make itself useful in charity work and speaking for some worthy causes. Meghan and Harry – she especially – have realised they’re not much more than celebrities, famous for being famous and, in her case, for being a successful actor.

They’ll be OK for cash and will be financially independent. They’ll be busy with the Invictus games and some new projects, maybe in Canada and South Africa (Commonwealth countries of course). The Sussex foundation will have plenty of friends. They’ll no longer be attacked just for being who they are and not being “proper” royals if they renounce the associated trappings and much of their status. Will the HRH titles go? Will they formally renounce their place in the line of succession? We shall see, but they will be far happier now.