The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle shocked the UK last year when they announced their desire to step down from their senior roles in the royal family in order to work to become financially independent. Prior to the move, the Sussexes complained about the intense scrutiny of the British media, which they accused of writing false reports.
Prince Harry revealed that he wanted to quit royal life when in his 20s. Speaking on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, hosted by actors Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, the Duke of Sussex said that he didn’t want the job as a full-time royal, comparing it to living in a zoo and the Truman Show. The latter is an award-winning movie about a person who is unaware that he is living in a reality TV show being broadcast continuously around the world.
When asked if he felt caged when carrying out his royal duties, Prince Harry said:
“It’s the job right? Grin and bear it. Get on with it. I was in my early twenties and I was thinking I don’t want this job, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be doing this. Look what it did to my mum, how am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and family when I know it’s going to happen again”, Harry told the Armchair Expert hosts.
He then said that constant media scrutiny prevents him from leading a normal life, with newspapers following his every step.
“So what is our human right, as an individual and a family if you’re saying from the moment we step out of our house, that it’s open season and free game – what, because of public interest? There’s no public interest in you taking your kids for a walk down the beach. Nothing, it’s not news. This is my issue with it, news should stay news”, Harry said.
It is said that the late Princess Diana suffered from constant media scrutiny. Previously, Prince Harry said that he couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Diana to go “through this process all those years ago”.
Harry and Meghan Pretended They Didn’t Know Each Other When in Public
The Duke of Sussex revealed that he and Meghan Markle had to meet secretly at the start of their relationship, recalling an incident when they entered a supermarket in London pretending they “didn’t know each other”. The royal said the couple had to text each other in the supermarket while buying groceries.
“There’s people looking at me, giving me all these weird looks, and coming up to me and saying ‘hi’. I texted her saying ‘is this the right one’, and she said ‘no you want parchment paper’, and I’m like ‘where’s the parchment paper?!'” the Duke said.
The royal then opened up about his mental health, saying that Meghan Markle had advised him to go to therapy to address his mother’s death and things he couldn’t control.
The therapy sessions were like leaving a cocoon, Harry said, noting that he realised that he was in a position of privilege, which made him stop thinking that he wanted something different – instead, he wanted to start “making” things different.
“Looking back I realise that helping other people, helped me. Once you’ve suffered you don’t want other people to suffer”, adding: “I’m feeling s**t, what am I going to do, I’m going to help my neighbour and have a really good day”, the Duke said.
Last year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to step down from their senior roles in the royal family and work to become financially independent as well as balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America. The move was dubbed Megxit after reports suggested that it was Meghan Markle who had masterminded it.
In March, the Duke claimed that toxic and racist treatment by the British press was a large part of why the couple left the United Kingdom. During their time in the palace, the couple filed several lawsuits against newspapers, which they accused of false reporting and intrusion in their private life. In February, Prince Harry won a libel case against the Mail On Sunday, which claimed in two articles that the Duke had “turned his back” on the Royal Marines following his resignation from royal life.
This was Prince Harry’s second interview since the one he gave together with his wife to American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, which prompted strong reactions across the world. Earlier this month, he delivered a speech at the charity concert Vax Live, aimed at improving vaccination campaigns as well as the equitable distribution of coronavirus inoculations worldwide.