Will 'never walk away' from royal family, says Prince Harry
Feb 28, 2021
Washington [US], February 28 : Prince Harry recently opened up about his decision of stepping back from the royal role and starting a new life with his wife Meghan Markle.
As per People magazine, the Duke of Sussex in a recent appearance on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden', candidly spoke about some of the reasons which made him and Meghan move to California.
Airing just a few days after it was announced that the couple officially would not return as working royals, the prince made it clear that he "will never walk away" from his family or waver in his dedication to helping others.
"It was never walking away, it was stepping back rather than stepping down," he told Corden as the pair did a tour in a bus around Los Angeles.
"It was a really difficult environment as I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like. It was destroying my mental health," Harry added.
"This is toxic, so I did what any husband and what any father would do which is 'I need to get my family out of here,' but we never walked away," he further stated.
Harry also appeared to once again push back against Queen Elizabeth's statement last Friday that he and Meghan were "stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."
He told Corden, a longtime friend who attended the couple's royal wedding in 2018, that he plans to continue to be the same man he was when he was working in a royal capacity.
"Whatever decisions are made on that side I will never walk away. I will always be contributing. My life is public service so wherever I am in the world it is going to be the same thing," Harry said in reference to the royal family.
Last Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry and Meghan will not be returning as working royals. The announcement came just over a year after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first shared their plans to step down, which came with a one-year review period.
The Duke of Sussex also lost his honorary military appointments, which will subsequently be redistributed "among working members of The Royal Family."
Buckingham Palace confirmed the news in a statement, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."
"Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," the statement continued.
In their own statement confirming the news, Harry and Meghan's office said that the duo "remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role."
"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," the statement read.
In early 2020, Meghan and Harry had announced that they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Santa Barbara, California, and are expecting their second child.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will speak to American talk show host Oprah Winfrey in a wide-ranging interview which is set to broadcast on CBS next month. The interview was announced just a day after the couple revealed Meghan's second pregnancy.
Apart from the upcoming interview, the pair struck a major multi-year deal with Netflix in September that will see them developing documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows, and children's series.
They also recently launched a podcast on Spotify under their Archwell Audio production company, with the goal of building "community through shared experience, narratives, and values."
Harry and Meghan, who tied the knot in 2018, welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison, in May 2019.