5 Highs and 5 Lows Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Left Royal Life 5 Years Ago

To put it mildly, much has happened in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lives since Jan. 8, 2020

As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry mark five years since stepping back from royal duties, their journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.

On Jan. 8, 2020 — five years ago exactly — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stunned the world when they wrote on Instagram, “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 statement continued. “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.”

Related: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Announce Shocking Move to 'Step Back as Senior Members of Royal Family'

Since then, the pair have navigated the highest of highs — welcoming their daughter Princess Lilibet, now 3, in June 2021, for example — and the lowest of lows, like when Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 at 96 years old. Here, PEOPLE examines five highs and five lows in the five years since the step back that shook the royal world.

High No. 1: Welcoming Princess Lilibet to the world

Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, now Princess Lilibet of Sussex, was born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California, joining older brother Prince Archie and her parents. Lilibet was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital at 11:40 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs., 11 oz., her parents said in a statement announcing her birth.

“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,” the statement read. “She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family," Harry and Meghan wrote on their Archewell website shortly after her arrival.

Members of the royal family also congratulated the couple on the birth of their daughter, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, who wrote a congratulatory message on their official Instagram account: "We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie," they wrote.

In the statement announcing her birth, Harry and Meghan shared that “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

Harry and Meghan sought Queen Elizabeth’s approval for using her nickname as their daughter’s moniker, as a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE in a statement, "The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called. During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."

Related: A Complete Timeline of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Exit from Royal Life

Lilibet — whose godfather is Tyler Perry — is seventh in line to the British throne, and after her grandfather King Charles took the throne in September 2022, she became Princess Lilibet; in February 2024, Harry and Meghan adopted Sussex as the family’s surname, making their daughter Princess Lilibet of Sussex, though PEOPLE understands that the princess title will be used in more formal settings and not in everyday use.

In 2022, Harry told Today host Hoda Kotb that he was greatly enjoying fatherhood: “I love it. I love every part of it. I’ve always wanted to be a dad,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to have my own kids, and now I got two little people who I’m responsible for."

Low No. 1: The miscarriage that preceded Lilibet’s birth

After Archie was born in May 2019 and before Lilibet’s birth in 2021, Meghan wrote in an essay for The New York Times in 2020 that she suffered a miscarriage.

“After changing [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp,” Meghan wrote. “I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.”

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she continued.

Harry later shared that, as Meghan pursued legal action against Associated Newspapers after a private letter to her father, Thomas Markle, was published, they believed the stress from that ordeal contributed to her miscarriage.

"I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did," Harry said. "I watched the whole thing. Now do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Of course we don't."

"[But] bearing in mind the stress that caused the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,” he added.

High No. 2: Lucrative business deals

Since stepping back as working royals five years ago, Harry and Meghan have found employment elsewhere, inking extremely lucrative contracts with Netflix, Spotify and Penguin Random House, the publisher behind Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, and Meghan’s 2021 children’s book, The Bench — both bestsellers. Under their Archewell Productions umbrella, Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal — reported to be worth $100 million — has produced the 2022 six-part docuseries Harry & Meghan as well as 2022’s Live to Lead, 2023’s Heart of Invictus, 2024’s Polo and With Love, Meghan, set to drop eight episodes on the streaming service on Jan. 15.

The couple reportedly still have their screen adaptation of Carley Fortune’s novel Meet Me at the Lake in the works, as well as an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. The Netflix deal hasn’t been without setbacks, though, including the cancellation of Pearl, an animated series Meghan was working on prior to its being scrapped.

"Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience and the need for connection," Harry and Meghan said in a statement after the Netflix deal was announced. "Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope."

In addition to their deals with Spotify, Netflix and Penguin Random House, Harry and Meghan also founded the nonprofit Archewell Foundation and have poured efforts into its projects including The Parents Network and The Welcome Project.

As for their deal with Spotify — which ended in 2023 — Meghan produced the successful podcast Archetypes in 2022, which went on to become the No. 1 podcast in 47 countries and win a People’s Choice Award in the podcast category and a Gracie Award for Best Podcast.

Meghan is also preparing for the imminent launch of her lifestyle brand, which she teased last March. The upcoming venture "will reflect everything that she loves — family, cooking, entertaining and home décor,” a source previously told PEOPLE. 

"She is excited about her latest, personal venture," the source said. "This is something she’s been wanting to do for a while. She is excited to share her style and things that she loves."

After the couple’s Spotify deal ended in 2023, Meghan also announced a forthcoming podcast with Lemonada Media that Meghan called “dynamic” in a 2024 statement.

Low No. 2: Various business ventures

Though some of Harry and Meghan’s projects have found success, others fell through, like the couple’s Spotify deal, which collapsed in June 2023.

"Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” a joint statement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's production company Archewell Audio and Spotify said, referring to the 12-episode Archetypes.

A representative from WME, the talent agency that Meghan signed with in 2023, told The Wall Street Journal that “The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform."

In the final episode of Archetypes, which aired in November 2022, Meghan said, "We're working on other ways to keep the conversation going, but just know that as we close out this season of Archetypes, that I thank you. Thank you for listening and learning with me. This has been liberating and healing, and it's been fun.”

Archetypes focused on the stereotypes that hold women back and featured guests like Mindy Kaling, Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton. Upon winning a People’s Choice Award for the podcast, Meghan said in a statement, “Thank you to all the supporters and fans of Archetypes who voted for us for this special People's Choice Award. I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative. And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them, and with each of you listening."

"It has been such a labor of love with an amazing team who were each instrumental in helping to bring this series to life," Meghan added.

The title and subject matter of Meghan’s forthcoming Lemonada podcast remains unknown.

High No. 3: The chance to tell their story

One of the couple’s chief issues during their time as working royals was, as Meghan told Oprah Winfrey in her bombshell 2021 interview alongside Harry, that she was silenced by the institution. Since their step back five years ago, Harry and Meghan have used their respective voices with aplomb, not only in the Oprah interview on March 7 of that year but also in Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and various other interviews over the years.

In a 2022 interview with The Cut, Meghan said she was “still healing” from the events of the past few years — and how she was excited to be able to use her voice again, including a Jan. 1 return to Instagram — her first time autonomously on the social media platform since before marrying Harry nearly seven years ago.

"When the media has shaped the story around you, it's really nice to be able to tell your own story,” she told the outlet, adding of life in Montecito, "I feel different. I feel clearer. It's like I'm finding — not finding my voice. I've had my voice for a long time, but being able to use it."

Of her time after marrying into the royal family in 2018, "It's interesting, I've never had to sign anything that restricts me from talking," she said. "I can talk about my whole experience and make a choice not to."

Low No. 3: The deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

In April 2021, just a month after their bombshell interview with Winfrey and two months before the birth of Lilibet, Prince Harry’s grandfather Prince Philip died at 99 years old. Harry returned to the U.K. for his funeral that month; Meghan, roughly seven months pregnant at the time, stayed behind in California with Archie.

Of his return to his home country over a year after his and Meghan’s step back, Harry said in the Harry & Meghan docuseries that "It was hard — especially spending time having chats with my brother and my father, who just were very much focused on the same misinterpretation of the whole situation."

"So none of us really wanted to have to talk about it at my grandfather's funeral, but we did," he added of himself, Prince William and the former Prince Charles.

"I've had to make peace with the fact that we're probably never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology [from my family]," Harry added. "My wife and I, we're moving on. We're focused on what's coming next."

Three months after they returned as a family of four for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, Harry and Meghan were in the U.K. for previously planned engagements when Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022; the couple took part in mourning her, including a joint walkabout with Prince William and Kate Middleton at Windsor Castle, where they greeted well-wishers.

According to a royal source, William thought the walkabout to greet the crowds "was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” but tensions remain to present day between Harry and both William and Charles — even as the latter continues cancer treatment into 2025. (Harry’s sister-in-law the Princess of Wales, who he was once so close to, was also diagnosed with cancer in 2024 like Charles, but announced on Sept. 9 that her chemotherapy had ended.)

High No. 4: Invictus celebrates its tenth anniversary

In May 2024, Prince Harry, a former captain in the British Army, celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his Invictus Games, founded in 2014 as an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and servicewomen — both those still serving and veterans. High points of Harry and Meghan together in the public eye since their 2020 step back are their joint appearances at the Invictus Games’ iterations since, including the 2022 Games in The Hague, Netherlands; the 2023 Games in Dusseldorf, Germany; and the upcoming Vancouver-Whistler Games in February 2025, where Invictus will take on winter sports for the first time.

Harry returned to the U.K. last May for a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London honoring a decade of the Games, but no members of the royal family attended — though he was joined by his mother Princess Diana’s siblings Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Charles Spencer.

Though Harry flew to the U.K. to see his father, King Charles, soon after the monarch announced his cancer diagnosis on Feb. 5, Harry didn’t see the King three months later due to the King’s “full” schedule.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, Prince Harry credited the Invictus community as "a major part of my growth and learning."

"Creating the Games involved listening to military and veteran families — and hearing directly from them about their lives — and that offered so much perspective. It’s been a lesson in serving a purpose greater than ourselves, and the benefit that comes from that extends to both the individual and the community,” Harry said.

"I truly believe that we are at our best when we’re in service to others, and Invictus is all about upholding that value,” he added.

Low No. 4: Losing their U.K. home base, Frogmore Cottage

Queen Elizabeth gave Harry and Meghan Frogmore Cottage, a home on the Windsor estate, as a wedding present following their May 2018 royal wedding. Even after their 2020 step back, the couple continued to use the property as their U.K. home base until they were asked to vacate the residence in 2023.

While a source told PEOPLE at the time that Harry and Meghan weren’t trying to fight the decision — adding that they’re happy to raise their kids in California — those close to the couple said the decision was “unfortunate.”

The couple had officially vacated Frogmore by June 2023, one month after Harry traveled to attend King Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey, where he sat in the third row to watch the service.

“At the end of the day, he’s going there to support his dad,” a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE about his decision to attend.

Colleen Harris, a former press secretary to the King and his sons, told PEOPLE of Harry's choice to attend the event that "He would have personally regretted it if he wasn't there to support his father. Speaking as a mother, [I believe] it was the right thing ... and the King [was] delighted.”

A major sticking point in Harry’s estrangement from Charles is Harry’s ongoing battle for security for himself and his family in the U.K., which he has been fighting for in court for more than four years (in addition to other lawsuits aimed at the media, specifically the tabloid press). PEOPLE previously reported that Harry believes his father has the power to reinstate his security in the U.K.; Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source told PEOPLE the notion that Harry's security is in the King’s hands is "wholly incorrect."

Despite a positive meeting between the father and son in February 2024 following the King's cancer diagnosis, their communication has since deteriorated, and those close to Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters: "He gets 'unavailable right now,' " a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE. "His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King's health, but those calls go unanswered too."

"Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father," a royal insider told PEOPLE last year. Another source close to the situation added, "Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs."

Safety has always been a cornerstone of why Harry and Meghan said they decided to step back five years ago, and Meghan said negative press and the lack of royal support during her time as a working royal were reasons she contemplated suicide at one point.

A friend said Harry and Meghan "didn’t feel they had a choice” and that "The only option was to leave — for their sanity. I do think they thought if they got out of this bubble, there would be less focus on them."

That said, nothing “would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father. At the end of the day, you can’t undo bloodlines. He’s not asking his dad for a nicer house or nicer cars. He’s asking because of the reality of the situation. He is at risk,” a friend said.

High No. 5: Forging their own professional paths

Whereas in the beginning of their post-working royal life Harry and Meghan’s business ventures were deeply tied together, five years on, they’re forging their own professional paths. For example, Harry has solo projects, like 2021’s The Me You Can’t See with Oprah Winfey and BetterUp, a coaching platform that aims to help people improve their mental fitness, where he serves as Chief Impact Officer.

For Meghan’s part, it was only her that signed with high-powered talent agency WME in 2023, and she’s taken on a solo podcast deal with Lemonada, her Netflix lifestyle series, forthcoming lifestyle brand and investments in companies like Clevr Blends, Cesta Collective and Highbrow Hippie. Sources told PEOPLE that, while Harry is leaning more towards philanthropic efforts, Meghan is exploring entrepreneurial projects and commercial ventures.

“It’s clear that a twin-track approach is evolving," a friend told PEOPLE, and a royal insider added of their working dynamic, "The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals – not just as a couple. The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.”

“An entrepreneurial and enterprise focus is going to be more the Duchess’s priority and the Duke will continue to champion his not-for-profit patronages,” the friend added. “But there will be joint efforts around those cause-driven areas of work.”

Whereas the couple undertake more solo appearances than they did in the early days of their step back, they have undertaken trips together like 2024’s visits to Nigeria and Colombia.

“It is still evident they show up together for the causes they jointly support," the royal insider said. "What we are seeing is a functional and healthy relationship with two working partners, not the contrary.”

Low No. 5: Consistent divorce rumors — and trolls

In a moment of candor, Prince Harry addressed the persistent and constant divorce rumors that dog him and Meghan while speaking at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Dec. 4 in New York City.

At the event, host Andrew Ross Sorkin addressed how people online were “fascinated by Meghan is in California right now, and you're here," Sorkin said, adding, "And there's articles left and right about, you know, 'Why are you making, doing independent events? Why aren't you doing them together?' "

"Apparently we've bought or moved house 10, 12 times,” Harry said. “We've apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it's just like, what?' "

"It's hard to keep up with, but that's why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls," he continued. "Their hopes are just built and built, and it's like, 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,' and then it doesn't happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do."

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Of his life in the U.S. post-working royal exit, Harry said, "I very much enjoy living here and bringing up my kids here. It's a part of my life that I never thought that I was gonna live."

"I feel as though it's the life that my mom wanted for me," he continued, referencing Princess Diana. "To be able to do the things I'm able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the U.K. — it's huge. I'm hugely grateful for that."