While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step back from official duties came as a shock to many, there was one royal watcher who predicted the upheaval. Frequently referred to as "the royal astrologer", Debbie Frank worked closely with Harry's mother Diana, Princess of Wales after the pair first met in February 1989. The two were close, and Debbie described Diana as a "very warm, very funny, very open person."
She continued: "She was an amazingly receptive person. We got on together very well, which I'm sure is the main reason why our connection lasted so long. She was definitely a person that grew before my eyes. She transformed, she worked on lots of emotional problems. We really connected."
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Fast forward to January 2020 and Debbie predicted a few months before the shock announcement that Harry and Meghan would step back from their royal duties. The astrologer foresaw that the couple would struggle to fit into the royal structure, noting: "I said that Meghan and Harry would become a power couple who would not fit into the structure of the royal family. The lunar eclipse, which was close to Kate's birthday, created a lot of ripples and changes that went right across the royal family's charts. The Queen [was in for] a lot of upheaval and everything was going to come to a head in January."
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What's more, Debbie adds that the rest of 2020 will be anything but smooth sailing for the royal family, and more upheaval is on the way. The astrologer explained: "It's the start of a series of changes. It's a bit like when there's an earthquake and there are aftershocks that come in its wake, so I think there's going to be quite a lot of ongoing changes."
© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry said "the stars were aligned" when he met Meghan
When Prince Harry met Meghan Markle the royal Prince declared that "the stars were aligned". For Harry (Virgo) and Meghan (Leo) there was definitely something written in the stars in early July 2016 with the Cancer New Moon falling directly on Meghan's Mars (planet of desire) and Harry's marriage point. It was game on for both of them.
The couple are now de-camping to Canada, without royal titles or duties having caused a major shake-up to the House of Windsor. Now we have the epic meeting of Saturn and Pluto on Meghan's marriage point triggering a stark, unvarnished truth: that she simply can't thrive within the royal system. She possibly believes the marriage would follow a downward spiral and not survive if lived within the confines of royal protocols and media sniping. This extreme 'life or death' perspective is reflective of being plugged into Pluto and Saturn's 'do or die' vibration. It is a moment of truth. It is unequivocal.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple will no longer use their HRH status
Astrologically, the royal family have so many points of connection that the couple's decision has rippled right across the charts of The Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Kate and William too. The shake-up means that the old status quo can't exist and this is a severe challenge to the firm with its assumptions that those within it will buckle down and sacrifice personal desires for duty and protocol.
The meeting of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn in January 1518 began the Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther initiated a religious rebellion that led to a break with the Catholic church. Hundreds of years later when these two planets have just paired up in the same place again we see the old world order being challenged again. We may look back on Harry and Meghan's departure as the starting point of a whole new era which also coincides with challenges for many people in the top jobs – be it Trump or Putin.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple have relocated to Canada with baby Archie
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Meghan as a Leo has a touch of the princess about her… she likes things her own way. She is a leader rather than a follower. Harry, meanwhile as a sun sign Virgo has a natural affinity with the idea of service. It will hit him hard to have to abandon the military in which he served his country, yet he feels he is in service to Meghan.
A closer look at the royal charts reveals that Meghan shares a Moon in Libra with Wallis Simpson and this Libra point was also the Duke of Windsor's Saturn and echoes across the charts of Meghan and Harry, Prince Charles and Kate and William as if they are enacting a kind of karma that has its roots in the original abdication. The ripple effect of the cosmic connections and the cycles of astrology are being played out before our eyes.
Debbie Frank is the author of Written in the Stars.
Check back on Monday when Debbie will be launching her new weekly horoscope column!
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