Prince Harry said that his and his wife Meghan’s departure from Buckingham Palace was more a case of “stepping back rather than stepping down”, as he spoke to host of The Late Late Show, James Corden, adding that it “was never walking away” from the Royal Family.
“It was a really difficult environment, which I think a lot of people saw… So I did what any father or husband would do and thought: 'How do I get my family out of here.' But we never walked away and as far as I'm concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away,” the prince said during an LA-bus-tour interview with Corden.
The Queen’s grandson also complained about the “toxic” environment in the UK fuelled by the British press, revealing that this was “destroying” his mental health.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have indicated that they have no intention of returning to public duties, adding that their decision has “saddened” everyone in the Royal Family. The two have now been stripped of all their royal patronages, such as Prince Harry's presidency of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, and his role of patron at the Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League and the London Marathon Charitable Trust, as well as all military roles.
The prince admitted to Corden that he was not particularly sure what lies ahead after the lockdown finally ends in the US, but noted: “My life is always going to be about public service and Meghan signed up to that.”
Harry Shares His Feelings About ‘The Crown’ Series
Prince Harry and Corden also spoke about the duke’s “usual night in” with Meghan and “hysterical” one-year-old Archie – whose first word was apparently “crocodile” – and how he knew that his wife was “the one” after the second date. The two have just announced that they are expecting their second child together.
The prince said that while in LA, he occasionally Zooms with Prince Philip and the Queen, who gave Archie a “waffle maker” for Christmas - his son is a fan of waffles, the prince admits.
Speaking from the top of a double-decker bus, the royal was also ready to share his opinion on the Netflix show about his grandmother, The Crown. The series was criticised for portraying the royal family negatively - particularly the Queen and his father Prince Charles - in the fourth season which included his mother Princess Diana’s very public struggles with her marriage.
But Prince Harry defended the show, saying “it's fictional but it's loosely based on the truth".
“Of course it's not strictly accurate but, loosely, it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that,” Prince Harry added.
The duke said he was actually “way more comfortable” with the Netflix show than with some stories written about his family in the press.
He also joked that he would like it if the actor - and fellow Old Etonian - Damian Lewis were picked to play him in the show’s forthcoming seasons.