How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's grand finale left us wanting more

Prince Harry and Meghan arrive to attend the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey. Photo / Getty Images

After one year, nine months and 19 days of married life in the Royal Family, the Sussexes are officially off. And what a way to go. Like all the best curtain calls, the Sussexes' "victory lap" in Britain left fans wanting more and everyone else wondering - what might have been?

From their dramatic, coordinated wardrobes to headline-grabbing speeches, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's final days in Britain have had all the hallmarks of a royal tour-de-force. It was, in a sense. Their last moments as senior members of the Royal Family, it was their chance to show the world what it would be missing, and set the stage for their next act: swapping duties, public scrutiny and "Sussex Royal" for the pursuit of "financial independence".

Aides who will shortly find themselves redundant have poured countless hours into designing their final fling. A pledge to keep supporting the troops and a tub-thumping speech about women's empowerment were matched by some of the most vividly beautiful pictures of them ever taken; the result not of fluke but of military-level planning.

Meghan and Prince attend The Endeavour Awards. Photo / Getty Images

It has gone some way to healing old wounds. Mystery briefings via the media, a jaw-dropping statement posted on their website, and ongoing tensions behind palace walls had left the nation aghast at what had been landed on the 93-year-old Queen's plate. Exasperated old hands felt they'd done their very best to try to help them; the Sussexes - furious and hurt by the tabloid press - felt support had still been lacking.

But the last few days have seen them back to their best. Prince Harry was on bouncing form with Bon Jovi at Abbey Road. At Silverstone, he channelled his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh for a knowing few words: "There's nothing better than officially opening a building that is very much open." They were invited to church with the Queen.

But it was on Saturday night, at the Royal Albert Hall, that those who have watched Harry since he was a small boy might have found themselves with a lump in their throats. The emotional father-of-one, standing tall in mess dress for his swansong as Captain General Royal Marines, couldn't quite contain his emotion as he acknowledged his standing ovation from comrades he is leaving behind.

Meghan, wearing British designers and a permanent smile, put on a show in a different league. At a comprehensive school in Dagenham, no one could have missed the message in her final speech as a Duchess. "No matter how small you might feel... no matter what colour you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right."

Meghan beamed during her final appearances. Photo / Getty Images

For ultra-loyal fans of the pair, who have been desperate for what they had nicknamed "Sussex Freedom Day", the jaunt back to Blighty was an unapologetic riposte to a Royal Family and British public they feel had not appreciated them quite enough.

But for calmer heads - those who were quietly thrilled to see Harry find love, and hopeful to see a diverse new generation buying into what they now saw in the monarchy - there will be an enduring sadness.

In a family business, you can't always be the stars of the show. But with the Sussexes' farewell tour comes the painful question that will now never be answered: what could they have achieved had they stayed?