It’s been one year since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world by announcing that they were stepping down as senior royal. One year later, experts are saying that it is unlikely that the couple will ever return to royal life again.

“The general consensus is that this ‘divorce’ has worked,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. “Meghan and Harry left the royal family to become independent, to become financially independent. They’ve absolutely achieved that this year. They can now look back a year on and probably celebrate their decision.”

Harry and Meghan officially stepped down in March of 2020, and speculation has been mounting about what will happen around the one year anniversary of that date in two months.

“There really isn’t going to be a sort of formal sit-down in March. That was never the plan. Yes, there was always going to be a year probation, but this has been a year in the works,” Nicholl explained. “This is a year where Harry has communicated on a regular basis with his grandmother. The general feeling is that the couple are sticking to the terms of the agreement.”

“Everything that they are doing is very much in keeping with that tone of respect towards the establishment and the monarchy. So this idea that there’s going to be a big formal sit-down to discuss the future is really a fabrication, I think, of the press,” she continued, going on to say that the “discussion have been ongoing ever since they left the royal family.”

Nicholl added that while Harry is still close to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, and that he talks to her regularly, “the matter over Harry’s military titles is one of the few issues that remain outstanding, that does need to be tidied up.”

“In terms of their portfolio of patronages and charities, as far as the couple is concerned, they plan to continue working with those patronages and charities as they have been over the past year,” Nicholl said. “So when issues arise, they will be dealt with.”

Nicholl concluded by saying that she thinks Harry has no regrets about leaving the royal family, as she believes he “has wanted a way out for quite a long time.”

“Don’t forget this is a prince who was born a spare, who has always had to play second fiddle to his brother [Prince William]. I think Megan was a catalyst for a new life for him. She really gave him the confidence to say, ‘OK, there is another way,'” she said. “I don’t think it’s any secret that for a long time when they were here in Britain they were not happy.”

“So what might have seemed daunting, terrifying, even a year ago because this has, make no mistake, been a leap of faith, I think now it looks like a very exciting adventure for the couple,” Nicholl added. “I don’t think there are any regrets…They are excited about this year, they’re very excited about this chapter in their lives, they are loving their new lives in L.A. and they are very happy.”