In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dramatically announced that they would abandon the royal family after about 18 months as working members. The couple told the world that this decision is the best for their family and would give them an incredible opportunity to thrive and gain financial independence—but two years later, it doesn’t really appear like that’s the case.

A prominent split with his family, his relationship with his brother, father and sister-in-law irreparably damaged, Netflix and Spotify deals in doubt, the pandemic, questions about their house, a very public row with his grandmother over their daughter’s name and Harry increasing portrayal as a laughing stock due to some of his questionable statements, the Duke of Sussex often appears miserable, frustrated and like a man with some strong regrets.

So, was Megxit one giant mistake?

The likely answer is yes.

Two years on, its apparent that Meghan Markle sold her husband a vision of an extraordinary life in California where they would be movers and shakers in Hollywood and get millions on the speaking circuit, all the while maintaining their status as royals and traveling around the world on the U.K. government’s and Her Majesty’s dime.

Looking back at their initial statement and desires on their website, it’s clear that the couple gravely miscalculated how their life in California would turn out.

As the couple initially stated on their now defunct Instagram page, the couple’s assessment of their Megxit life was leagues from reality.

“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.

“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.

“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.

“This geography balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.

“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your combined support.”

The couple make it clear, on Instagram and their website, that they fully intended to keep doing the fun aspects of royal life—taking private military funded jets to exotic locations, being treated like royalty and wearing outrageously expensive and ill-fitting taxpayer funded clothes.

Thankfully, the Queen and the rest of the royal family quickly put an end to that.

After a year review, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were more or less on probation, the couple were stripped of all of their royal patronages and ceremonial military appointments.

The royal family was less than impressed as the used the first year after Megxit to denigrate the monarchy and its history, especially in regards to their royals as the president and the vice president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. In their last video discussion with members of the organization, the couple essentially challenged the Queen’s legacy on the issue of race.

“When you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past,” Harry said.

“So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs, but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do. It’s not going to be easy and in some cases it’s not going to be comfortable but it needs to be done, because guess what, everybody benefits.”

Meghan added: “We’re going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now, because it’s only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find the place where a high tide raises all ships. Equality does not put anyone on the back foot, it puts us all on the same footing—which is a fundamental human right.”

How could he have possibly lost out on his role in the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, one he supposedly greatly enjoyed and took great pride in. It’s truly a question.

Most disappointingly to the royal family, Harry and Meghan also promised to honor the Queen and her legacy—but instead the couple did an interview with Oprah Winfrey where they trashed the entire royal family and vaguely accused one member of racism.

How is that honoring anything from their original Megxit statement?

The answer is nothing.

Harry was clearly sold a dream by Meghan, where they could break the chains of the royal family and the unfair British media and escape to California. With Meghan’s connections and unbridled talent, they could make millions, bask in the sun and control their own destiny.

But as it turns out, they just probably don’t really have the talent to make this dream of global domination a reality.

The Duke of Sussex is mostly seen as a fool now, especially after making some exceptionally dense statements—most notably that the First Amendment of the United States is “bonkers”—and making some rather troubling and somewhat unhinged statements in his documentary with Oprah on mental health.

They have multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, though it looks increasingly like they won’t get much from either as the couple have produced collectively one uninteresting and forgettable 35-minute podcast a year ago.

A likely Netflix reality show could be a big success or it could land them in hot water with the monarchy and the public and again make the couple look like two buffoons who can’t make it on their own without the palace’s well-oiled machine.

Harry’s relationship with his family, from all reports, is essentially nonexistent, especially with his brother—but ever the dull tool, Harry also seems shocked that his family remains deeply distrustful and disappointed in him. It’s as if he expected the public mudslinging and temper tantrums to bring them closer together, not break the bond entirely.

The pressure of life outside the stability and security of the palace walls is not all that it appeared, and it shows. When he is permitted to leave the house, with Meghan’s carefully cultivated word salad to speak to the masses, Prince Harry looks more and more angry, frustrated and perplexed about where he is and where it all went so wrong. How did the glorious vision of his post-royal life with Meghan Markle crash and burn so completely? As it turns out, the grass is not greener on the other side, and making your own money isn’t as easy as Meghan made it seem. The couple actually do have to *gasp* work in order to get paid, and unfortunately neither of them have the talent or the skills to create that multibillion-dollar empire they envisioned.