Prince Harry got candid about his life as a royal and his relationship with Meghan Markle when he appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast Thursday. The Duke of Sussex also revisited the time when he was still in the U.K. and shared that he didn’t want to be part of the monarchy.
Prince Harry on being part of the royal family
Prince Harry revisited his life when he was still an active working royal in his early 20s. He told Dax Shepard that he didn’t want to be there and he didn’t want what he was doing. He wanted to be out of the royal family even before he met and married Meghan Markle.
The Duke of Sussex had reservations because he felt that the privilege and spotlight that came with being a royal ruined his mom, Princess Diana. Prince Harry shared that he didn’t want to build his own family around the same foundation.
“How am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and a family when I know that it is going to happen again?” he said, as quoted by Elle.
“I’ve seen behind the curtain. I’ve seen the business model. I know how this operation runs and how it works. I don’t want to be part of this.”
Prince Harry a reluctant royal
Prince Harry’s revelation wasn’t surprising at all. It’s not a secret that he wasn’t happy with being part of the royal family.
In 2017, Prince Harry spoke with royal biographer Angela Levin. During their conversations, he claimed that “no one in the Royal Family wants to be King or Queen.” He also admitted that he spent years kicking his heels and did not want to grow up, Daily Mail reported.
There were years when the royal prince made headlines for drinking, partying, and smoking. He described those times a “total chaos” and admitted that he was very close to having a breakdown several times.
In Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, he also claimed that his father and brother were trapped in the system. However, an insider said Prince William didn’t feel trapped at all. The Duke of Cambridge was reportedly committed to the monarchy and the royal family.
Harry found his purpose
Prince Harry told Dax Shepard that he later realized that he was in a position of privilege. So, he stopped complaining and thinking he wanted something different.
He was wondering how to make his mom proud and how he could make a huge change. Eventually, he got therapy and found his purpose in helping other people.