LONDON – Prince Harry said he’s taking a “leap of faith’’ as he steps back from royal duties in an attempt to build a more peaceful life – one free of the journalists who have filmed, photographed and written about him since the day he was born.

Fat chance.

Global fame will follow Harry and his wife, Meghan, even as they decamp to the seemingly more benign environment of Canada, said Pauline Maclaran, a business professor at Royal Holloway University of London and author of “Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture.’’

“They believe that if they are not representing the monarchy any longer, the tabloid press will eventually go away because it will be so expensive for them – that there won’t be the same savage approach. They feel they will be able to control it more from Canada,’’ she said. “I don’t think they are being very realistic.’’

Harry has long had a frosty relationship with the media, and he made it clear Sunday that the press was a major reason for the couple’s decision to step back from royal life.

Harry accused the media of directing “a wave of abuse and harassment” at the biracial Meghan, including “racial undertones” in articles. Both he and Meghan filed lawsuits last year against press outlets over alleged intrusion into their private lives. At the time, Harry gave an interview drawing parallels between the treatment of his wife and the media frenzy that contributed to the 1997 death of his mother, Princess Diana.

Meghan has already returned to Canada with their 8-month-old son, Archie. It was not clear how soon Harry will join Meghan.

Experts on branding and the royals believe the couple will, if anything, get even more attention than they do now. Though the couple have expressed disdain for the royal rota – a pool system that gives British journalists access to royal events – the system also served to control media demands.

Now, all bets are off.

“The paparazzi will follow them everywhere they go,’’ said Jonathan Shalit, a celebrity agent and chairman of London-based InterTalent Rights Group. “A picture of Meghan going to the shops in Vancouver will have value. I certainly think the kind of attention going forward is going to be harder to control.’’

And if they want to be financially independent, they won’t be able to avoid the media altogether, because clients who pay for their services will want the publicity that comes with a connection to them, Shalit said as he predicted the couple could become a billion-dollar brand. They can expect lucrative deals, such as book packages and speaking fees, he said.

Shalit said the Sussexes would outstrip former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, in earning power.

“They are 100 percent more valuable than the Obamas,’’ he said. “The Obamas aren’t royal. They are.”

Media companies are likely partners.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of streaming giant Netflix, told Britain’s Press Association he would be interested in working with them, adding: “Who wouldn’t be interested?’’