Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced last month they wanted to begin a new life away from royal life. Speaking out about their decision last month, Harry said he was “taking a leap of faith” in order to provide his family with space for their next chapter. But now the Duke of Sussex has attributed the decision to a startling and heartbreaking cause, so what did he say was the reason?
Prince Harry and Meghan posted the bombshell news of their intended departure from royal life on Instagram.
In the post, the couple said they wanted to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution” as well as working to “become financially independent”.
In the wake of the news, members of Royal Family gathered for crisis talks and in the subsequent days, conditions for the Sussex couple’s departure were outlined.
In their new life, Harry and Meghan must step back from all royal duties, no longer receive public funds for royal work, no longer work on behalf of the Queen and relinquish their HRH titles.
Prince Harry has previously spoken out about his sadness about stepping back from the Royal Family one day after the conditions were published.
But now he has revealed even more intimate details about his motivations for stepping back from his inherited position.
Meghan and Harry undertook their first joint public appearance since the Megxit bombshell was dropped.
In a speech at a talk for JPMorgan in Miami, Prince Harry reportedly revealed he is in therapy.
A source told the New York Post: “Harry spoke about mental health and how he has been in therapy for the past few years to try to overcome the trauma of losing his mother.
“He talked about how the events of his childhood affected him and that he has been talking to a mental health professional.
“Harry also touched on Megxit, saying while it has been very difficult on him and Meghan, he does not regret their decision to step down as senior royals because he wants to protect his family.
“He does not want Meghan and their son Archie to go through what he did as a child.”
Meghan is also said to have addressed the crowd at the summit, during which she spoke about her love for her husband.
The source told the newspaper Meghan and Harry’s presence at the event was very “hush-hush” and that they were accompanied by, “a lot of security”.
The couple allegedly “headlined the event as keynote speakers”.
But it is currently unknown whether the couple, who announced they would be working to become financially independent, were paid for their appearance.
The most recent admission from Prince Harry is not the first mention he has made of seeking mental health treatment.
In 2017, he revealed his intense struggles following Princess Diana’s death and how he had sought out emotional support.
He told The Telegraph: “I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well.
“I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.”
Prince Harry added he eventually sought support with the encouragement of his brother and others close to him.
He told The Telegraph: “Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you.”
He added: “The experience I have had is that once you start talking about it, you realise that actually you’re part of quite a big club.”
Since stepping back from their royal duties, the couple and their nine-month-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor have been staying in Canada.
The couple are expected to split their time between the UK and Canada in the future after they have stepped down from royal life this spring.
