Buckingham Palace explored the possibility of appointing Prince Harry as Canada's governor-general in a bid to retain him and Meghan within the royal framework, a new book has claimed.
According to Russell Myers' forthcoming book about the Prince and Princess of Wales, palace officials engaged in "round the clock negotiations" ahead of the pivotal Sandringham Summit in January 2020, which ultimately determined the terms of the Sussexes' departure from royal duties.
The duke and duchess were offered five distinct options during these intensive discussions, with one former courtier telling Mr Myers that the proposals "clearly demonstrate that they were hardly left fending for themselves in an environment that wasn't interested in looking after them".
Another insider claimed "nothing was ever good enough" for the duke and duchess before they ultimately relocated to California.
An insider claimed that nothing was ever good enough for the Sussexes.
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A senior palace source told Mr Myers: "We'd spent months trying to work out a role for them and every time we thought someone had cracked it, there would end up being several reasons why it couldn't work."
The same insider explained that "Harry being governor-general of Canada wouldn't happen because you need to be Canadian, various ideas of them working across Africa had security implications, or someone else was already doing the job it was almost an impossible task."
Despite the constitutional barrier, polling at the time showed 61 per cent of Canadians supported Harry succeeding Julie Payette, a former astronaut, in the position.
Simon Case, who served as Prince William's private secretary at the time, participated in the crucial palace discussions aimed at finding a viable arrangement for the couple's transition away from senior royal duties.
The negotiations involved the principal private secretaries of the late Queen, the then Prince Charles, and Prince William, alongside senior communications staff from each household.
David Manning, former British ambassador to the US and special adviser on constitutional matters to both princes, devised the Canada proposal as a means of utilising the couple's international profile, potentially including trade envoy responsibilities following Brexit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were offered five different options but none worked with the couple
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However, palace sources indicated the Sussexes offered no practical suggestions despite their desire for a hybrid arrangement.
"We already knew they were intent on signing commercial deals and that just wasn't going to work within the model," one source said.
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They added: "So we kept saying to them, 'How do you want this to work? Do you actually have a tangible plan that could help us?', but we got nothing in return."
Mr Myers writes that Meghan departed for Canada to be with their son during the negotiations, leaving Harry "to face the music alone" amid her well-documented unhappiness within the institution.
Harry and Meghan eventually steeled in California after deciding to step away from being working royals
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Palace staff maintain they "bent over backwards" to accommodate the couple, according to courtiers quoted in the book, with one former aide describing the Sussexes as "loose cannons" who lacked trust within the wider household.
The duke and duchess eventually settled in Montecito, California, securing financial independence through lucrative deals including a Netflix documentary series, Harry's memoir, and Meghan's lifestyle venture As Ever.
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